An Unlikely Pair
by JL Howie
Summary: This is my FIRST fanfiction, so be kind, and it's not finished, but i plan on finishing it before the summer's up. My beta is my awesome friend xxArtemisxFowlxx. and yeah. enjoy and tell me what you think :
1. Chapter 1

He stumbled down the hall, blindly and recklessly, forgetting about the wand in his pocket and the pitch black darkness of the corridor. He didn't know what time it was, nor did he care. All that mattered was that she had left him. Left him to fight in the battle his parents and their colleagues had fought so hard to make happen. He didn't realize yet, but his face was damp with the tears he had sworn to never shed for her.  
"You left me," he whispered, unable to contain his emotions.  
"YOU LEFT ME," he screamed again, "and you aren't coming back..." He trailed off.  
Everything faded, and then fell dark.

"Merlin; I just cannot understand what that Parkinson girl sees in him. That boy is _scum_," Hermione confided in her best friend Ginny. These girl talks only happened during the free period they shared right before lunch because Harry and Ron were in Divination. Hermione and Ginny had long given up Trelawney's class; her mumblings were too much for the girls.  
"I know, I'd rather snog Aunt Muriel than that idiotic git," Ginny agreed, scribbling an incantation on her Charms essay.  
Draco surfaced from his… girlfriend, he guessed she was, and stared at the Gryffindor table. Only two eyes were on him, and they belonged to the Granger girl. She looked away quickly, as did he, looking once more to Pansy.  
"So how are you and Ron?" Ginny asked, breaking Hermione's dream-like glance.  
"Ro-what?"  
"How are you and your boyfriend?" Ginny asked, soaked in sarcasm.  
"I-we're fine, Ginny. In fact after lunch he's taking me down to The Three Broomsticks for some Butterbeer; you can come with Harry if you'd like." She hoped she didn't sound as desperate as she felt. Being alone with Ron almost seemed like torture lately since he was always hugging her and basically growling at any bloke who came near her like he was an oversized flame-red puppy dog.  
"I don't know; me and Harry were going to work on his Potions assignment," Ginny said uncertainly.  
Hermione pleaded with her eyes, and Ginny got the hint. She picked up on her best friend's feelings better than anyone else.  
Ginny nodded and helped Hermione pack up the various textbooks she needed for her N.E.W.T class.

"Harry?"  
"Yeah, Ron?" the black-haired boy responded, stuffing his Divination textbook into his satchel.  
"Does Hermione seem… different lately?" the Weasley asked, eyes wide and sparkling slightly.  
Harry did not want to upset his friend, but he had known Hermione for seven years and she wasn't acting exactly cozy around Ron lately. He kept this information to himself though and reassured his freckled friend.  
"Nah, mate. I haven't a clue what you mean."  
This seemed to cheer Ron up a bit, and the two friends sped forward to ask Neville for help on their fifteen inch Herbology essay.

Draco eased around the corridor heading to the Room of Requirement, where he spent most of his evenings lately, trying to get away from Parkinson and his idiotic cronies_.  
"I need to get away. I need to get away. I need to get away_," he thought, passing by the enchanted passageway three times. The door appeared, rusty and ancient, and he slipped in as the door faded back into a cream castle wall.  
He sighed and slid into a dusty armchair and slipped into a slumber. It was a nightmare. His father's leer blended into his mother's, and his mother turned into Pansy's pixie face.  
"_Draco, Draco. Come with us_." He resisted, running across a field where he encountered the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord entrusted a mission to him, the task he had failed to accomplish last year, which his favorite Potions Master, Professor Snape, had eventually fulfilled for him. He heaved one sob then shook it off.  
"_Malfoys do not cry_," he heard his dad's voice say in his head. "_Crying is for the weak, and Malfoys are not weak._"

He woke up with a start. Checking his wristwatch, he noticed lunch was nearly half over and he had promised to meet Blaise to discuss strategy for the next match. He sighed, heaved himself out of the comfortable chair and strode out of the room and down towards the Main Hall, composing himself as he went.


	2. Chapter 2

Ron's hand was on Hermione's waist and his grin couldn't have been wider. Her face, however, was contorted into a false sort-of smile, but no one noticed. They slid into the booth and ordered a round of Butterbeers.

Ginny excused herself and went to the loo supposedly to reapply lip gloss, but most likely she was chatting with a Pavarti twin or one of her 6th year friends.

Ron yawned really cheesy and put his arm around Hermione, making her all but grimace, but she stopped herself in case Harry saw.

Harry squirmed in his seat, and finally he couldn't take it anymore.

"Hermione? Can I have a word?"

"Ron?" she asked with a quizzical look plastered across her face, unsure of Harry's intentions.

"Yeah, fine, fine; I'll get more Butterbeer." He stood up, shaking his head, and walked over to the polished wood countertop.

"Hermione, what's up with you? You don't seem the same lately; it's like you've got something on your mind. Has Ron upset you?" Harry seemed genuinely concerned, and Hermione knew it to be because he _was_ genuinely concerned.

"Thank you, Harry, really, but I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind what with N.E.W.T's and the extremely long essays; you understand, right?" Hermione lied through her teeth.

Hermione had always dreamed of being with Ron, ever since second year when she woke from being petrified in the infirmary to his smiling face over her; and it had grown in fourth year when he got jealous over Victor Krum, his old hero. However she really grew to love him in sixth year when he had stammered her name, _her name_, while he was dating that insufferable twat Lavender Brown, causing her to never say "Won-Won" again.

"Of course," Harry replied, also lying.

They gazed at each other for a long while, understanding each other perfectly; this would never be spoken to Ron, _ever._

:::

Draco didn't know why he was here. He had told Pansy to wait at Honeydukes for him, saying he'd buy her something to keep her mind off of how her father was always ignoring her. Not that he cared about the girl's blubbering; he just had money to burn and a sexual drive.

But why here? There were two, maybe three Slytherins here, all fourth year and under. The rest were Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, maybe a few Ravenclaws. No one to talk to, but he had felt possessed to come here. This was where he had used the Imperius curse on that Bell girl, he remembered; he was never convicted, of course since he had hidden his tracks well. Up until the Astronomy tower, where Potter saw him almost kill Dumbledore, but he needn't care; Harry didn't dare to tell anyone, not even Weasley and Granger. Malfoy found that odd. The Potter boy told his two tagalongs everything. Malfoy was still thinking deeply when Looney Lovegood herself plopped down beside him, humming a familiar tune.

"Loon-Luna?" Malfoy stuttered, wondering why he didn't call her by the nickname his fellow Slytherins had coined. "What song is that?" He asked, even though he knew exactly which song it was.

"It's a lullaby my mother used to sing me before she passed; it's Calling the Stars…" she trailed off. Suddenly she stood up and skipped off out the door and into the snow.

He was mystified by her appearance yet slightly thankful. That was the same lullaby _his_mum sang him. He felt sad, empty, and slightly regretted coming to the bar.

"Oh-ho-ho, a Malfoy in the Three Broomsticks? Unheard of, I'd say," Potter jeered to his friend Weasley.

The little weasel laughed and Draco saw a girl behind the two cocky seventeen year-old teenage boys.

"Who's your friend?" Malfoy jeered, not remembering a new student.

"You're really daft, aren't you Malfoy? It's Hermione."

Malfoy sputtered, spilling a few drops of Butterbeer over his silver and green robes. "_Granger_?"

The boys stalked off laughing, the red-head dragging the new Granger after him. She looked back, contemplation in her eyes.

"_Granger_?" he sputtered again. But she looked so different, he reasoned; her hair was more kept and she'd grown several inches. She looked much better-well, as much better as a mudblood could get.

He shook those nasty thoughts off and stalked back to Honeydukes, reckoning he'd take a bath when he got back to the castle.

:::

_Oh the advantages of being a prefect_, Malfoy thought, _a pristine bathroom and the ability to chastise idiotic first years_; it was the best time he would ever have at this hell hole of a school.

He waltzed into the bathroom, an enormous sight Draco had gotten used to since last year. He checked to see if anyone was in before turning on the water, steaming up the mirrors and moving stained glass windows.

He pulled his clothes off, folded them carefully, and slid into the bath. He closed his eyes and tried not to dream; after all, his dreams weren't even dreams anymore…

:::

Hermione rubbed her eyes. She was extremely tired and Ron hadn't helped the matter, having made out with her in every deserted corridor they could find (more like he could find). She really wasn't into him trying to swallow her face tonight. So she told him she was going to study for Ancient Runes, a class he'd never taken. He kissed her goodbye and shuffled up to the boy's dorm, grinning.

Instead Hermione ran to the Prefect's common room, cloak billowing around her. She was cursing herself; how could she let it go this far? She didn't love him as she used to. They'd tried being significant others, but it hadn't worked. She promised herself she'd tell him that tomorrow.

She pulled out her Runes textbook and tried concentrating, but it had never been this hard. She knew what she needed: a warm bubble-bath. So she picked her bag off the floor and shoved her textbook in. She checked her watch; it was nearly eleven o'clock, so no one would be in the bathroom seeing as prefects were usually in bed by 10.

She busted in, pulling up her shirt as she went. As soon as the shirt was off her eyes suddenly fixed on an oblivious Draco Malfoy in the middle of the bathtub. She gasped inaudibly, but he had already begun turning around.

They both stared for what seemed like an eternity before Hermione screamed, realizing she was standing there in only her bra and he was completely naked. She ran out, still shivering and screaming. She quickly pulled on her shirt, gathered her knapsack and cloak, and ran back to Gryffindor tower, nearly crying.

:::

Draco thought nothing of it, but kept fussing at himself about how he should forget what the girl he had been taunting for seven years looked like. But he knew that was not the same girl; she was different, but not really. He thought that Weasley must have realized this new change was amazing and asked the girl out. Draco didn't care. A mudblood and a blood-traitor; how perfect for each other.

Then Draco wondered, why hadn't he told the little girl to get out, or that she didn't deserve to be in his presence? He'd just sat and stared…Oh well. It didn't matter.

He stood up and toweled off manually, for drying charms left him quite a bit more singed than he liked. His hair was still wet as he sauntered into the prefects' common room. He found his bag and put on his pajamas. It was nearly midnight, so he couldn't be caught going to the dungeons, not now that he'd earned a prefects position. He curled up on one of the many couches and fell asleep almost immediately.

He knew he was screaming, yet he wasn't making a sound. Lord Voldemort was caring away someone with a black hood was over their face. It was a girl; she wore a school uniform, the mandatory grey skirt letting him know. Pansy was his first thought, but he wouldn't cry over her and make these unheard screams. But before he could figure out who the girl was, Pansy shook him awake.

"Draco, oh, Draco, are you all right? We've been looking for you everywhere." She seemed concerned, but he didn't care. He straightened up and pushed her away.

"Will you get off me, Parkinson!" he barked. She obeyed immediately, and he smirked. "I slept here because it was nearly midnight when I took my bath, and I couldn't take Filch writing me detention, especially now that I'm a prefect." She seemed satisfied and pulled him along.

"Pansy! I need to dress, thank you," he yelled, pushing her out of the common room. He wasn't thinking as he pulled on his uniform, and it showed because as soon as he and Pansy met up with Crabbe and Goyle they laughed at him for wearing his shirt backwards.

"_Fumunculus_," Draco said angrily. Crabbe screamed as his face was covered with boils. Draco laughed as he pulled Pansy down to breakfast.

"Draco, you are so amazing, that was great," Pansy laughed and pulled the blonde into her and kissed him. He pulled away soon and dragged her to the Great Hall. She didn't protest, although she hated Draco for being so quick to break the kiss.

"Aw, don't you love me?" she asked trailing behind him. He didn't answer because as soon as he burst into the Great Hall he was met with Weasley kissing the Granger girl.

"Ugh, will you keep your fornication to Gryffindor tower?" Malfoy spewed at the couple.

"I don't see you hiding much with your girlfriend, _Malfoy_," the red-haired boy nearly yelled. He was flushed and angry; Draco knew he was itching to fight.

"That's because my kissing isn't unnatural, not to mention disgusting," Malfoy spat at him.

"Why you little prat!" Weasley lunged at Malfoy, but years as a seeker gave him the reflexes to jump away and grab his wand.

"Care to duel, Weasel?" Malfoy jeered.

"Stop it, _stop it!_" Granger stepped between the two boys and put a hand on both of their chests. "Don't fight. You're both being foolish." She pulled her hand away from Malfoy quickly, but kept the other on the Weasley's chest.

"Whatever," Ron said quickly, walking to the Gryffindor table and sitting heavily beside Potter.

"Oh Merlin, what am I to do?" Draco heard Granger say to herself. _Odd_, he wondered. _Didn't she practically drool over that boy_? …_Who cares_? He reassured himself, hurrying to meet Blaise at the Slytherin table.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione could barely believe what had happened that morning. Had Malfoy really fought Ron for kissing her? No-he had fought Ron because he found their kissing disgusting, a disgrace. This left her quite crestfallen, although she didn't know why. Malfoy was sick and cruel and he was a Death Eater inductee-he was evil, and she was good.

"Hermione, can you help me with Herbology? Neville's in Potions," Harry called to his best friend.

"Sure," Hermione replied, realizing she had been rigidly sitting in the common room. She rose to go sit beside Harry near the fire. His illegible scrawl covered the entire parchment, Hermione easily understand the marks after years of reading them.

"First off, Harry you may want to try working on spelling—Oh, here, I'll look over it," she said quickly, anything to get her mind off Ron. She was working almost mechanically, waving her wand to change words, fix grammar errors, and spell words correctly. She nearly jumped when Harry spoke again.

"You could just tell him, you know. He's been your best friend since year one. He'd understand," he talked quietly. It was obvious he was sad; he had thought of his best friends as soul mates for ages…He had thought it nearly certain.

"No he wouldn't. I've strung him along too far. He thinks I'm head-over-heels for him. I, well, I _was_. I don't know what happened...I just don't know what to do Harry." Before she knew it she was crying. Hermione leaned over on Harry's shoulder as he wrapped a reassuring hand around her back.

Harry later led her to the girl's dormitory and wished her goodnight. She stumbled up the stairs and halfheartedly undressed and fell into bed, warm tears falling on her pillow.

That night she had a nightmare. Ron was yelling at her, cursing her, wishing she'd never been born, regretting ever saving her in first year from that troll, and from ever setting sights on her mudblood face. She was small, smaller than she'd ever been, and she couldn't speak, only listen to the boy she once loved yell about how much he hated her.

She sat bolt upright, sobbing from the dream. Everyone else was gone. She checked her clock-it was nearly eight! She had slept through most of breakfast, and if she didn't hurry she'd be late for class, a strict negative in her book. She scrambled to put on clothes before bounding down the stairs and to the Great Hall.

"Hermione? Your eyes are wet! Are you all right?" Ron said, terror in his eyes. The fact that he cared that much nearly caused Hermione to start sobbing again.

"Fine, I'm fine," she said quickly.

"No you're not, talk to me, please; you're not who you used to be, Hermione, talk to me, please." He was fumbling over his words, upset and wondering what would happen next.

"Ron…" Hermione was distracted. "Follow me." She pulled him out of the hall and into the nearest empty room, which she remembered vividly.

"Do you remember this room?" she wondered aloud, Ron answering.

"Yeah, this is where you sent demon birds after me last year," he chuckled nervously, avoiding her eyes. He had a feeling that what he was about to hear wouldn't be nice.

"You really hurt me that day, what with Lavender and all…" she trailed off, an edge to her voice.

"Hermione, I-." He stopped when he looked up and saw her serious and tear streaked face.

"Ron, I love you, at least, I _thought_ I did, but Ron, you aren't right for me. You are my best friend, and I'm not sure we can ever be anything more." It came out quickly, a gust of breath. It was the last breath she dared take for a long while.

"I-er-you're, you're breaking up with me?" His voice broke on the last word, and Hermione could feel her dream coming true. She clenched her skirt in her hands and closed her eyes slightly.

"Hermione, I love-I love you. I…is there anything, _anything_ I can do? I don't want to lose you." His eyes we full of tears that were about to spill over the top of his eyes.

"Ron, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry. I still want to be your friend. Please, hear me out," Hermione pleaded; she didn't want to lose her friend-she didn't want to end up like Cho Chang and Harry, who'd never spoken again.

"Hermione, I just…I don't know anymore." He wiped his face, sniffled a little, and stormed out of the classroom and down the hall.

Hermione fell down on her knees and cried. She felt so much for that red-haired boy, and yet somehow she knew she had just lost him forever.

:::

"Blaise, do you see what I see?" Draco was looking at the Gryffindor table, prompting Blaise to turn and look.

"What, Draco? I see nothing that concerns me," Blaise replied lazily.

"The perfect couple seems to have split," Draco said, but it seemed only to himself.

"Draco, really, you're acting daft. Those little mudbloods and blood-traitors have nothing to do with us."

"Oh, I know…" Draco trailed off and stood up quickly. "I'll be right back," he said, and got up to rush to the bathroom.

Splashing water in his face, Malfoy wondered what was wrong with him.

"Why do I care so much about the happenings in that stupid Gryffindor house? Those idiots mean nothing to me. Blood-traitors, mudbloods… all ignorant, none of them worth my time." He didn't believe it. His father, of course, was a strong believer in the "pure" line. But who didn't have a little mud in their veins? Not his family, he'd been told, but everyone else did. "Why am I reasoning this to myself? This is so wrong. I should know how I feel all the time. I hate not knowing what it is I'm feeling." Draco slumped a bit. He didn't know what was happening anymore.

"Why…?" He trailed off as he heard footsteps.

Hermione Granger ran into the bathroom and slammed herself into a stall. Draco wondered what to do, but before he could do anything she threw the door open again and stared at him.

"Aren't you going to terrorize me, Malfoy? Tell me how I deserve everything bad that happens to me? Well, I don't need you right now to feel like complete crap about myself, so sod off if you don't want me to hex your brains out," she huffed, turning to the sink.

"I wasn't going to…" Malfoy had said it in a whisper, but she heard. She whipped her head around, a questioning expression etched in her features. Her eyebrows were raised, but Malfoy looked down.

"Hermione? Hermione?" Out in the corridor the little Weasley girl was calling for her friend. She walked out to the hall, but she looked back before leaving and he saw that her eyes had stopped leaking and she looked fiercely quizzical.

"I am…" She didn't continue and ran to see her friend.

"I am too." Draco whispered to himself and walked back to the Great Hall to meet Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

:::

"Are you _serious?_ I don't believe you one bit," Ginny said to her friend.

"No, really, he didn't mock me at all, and he whispered something…I don't know what exactly…" Hermione _did_ know exactly, though; he had said that he wasn't going to insult her. Wasn't going to insult her, even though that had been his favorite pastime since first year.

"It was really quite peculiar."

"But really, I don't care about that little twat. Did you talk to Ron?" Ginny said slowly, as if not to tread on a raw nerve, but Hermione's eyes welled with tears anyway.

"Ginny, I think he'll never forgive me, and I don't blame him at all. I was a total liar and jerk the whole relationship, but he stuck by me. I feel so bad." She was almost to tears by this point but controlled herself.

"Do you want me to talk to him? I really would, for you. And _I_ understand; fully."

"Oh, Ginny, I don't know what I'd do without you." Hermione leaned over to hug the girl who resembled her ex-boyfriend so much.

"There he is now," Ginny said quickly. "Stay here, I'll be right back." She clambered out of the large armchair and walked over to her older brother. Hermione couldn't hear exactly what was being said, but she saw Ron's face flush the color of his hair and dismiss his sister before clomping up to the boy's dormitory.

Ginny walked back over to Hermione, a defeated expression on her face.

"He would have none of it. Said you broke his heart, and he wasn't sure he could ever trust you again. Oh, Hermione, this is so sad." Ginny frowned and hugged Hermione, but the girl pulled away and excused herself.

"Harry? Harry, where are you?" She had walked down to the dungeons to meet Harry after Potions, but he must have left. She walked back up to the tower and found Harry chatting with Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas.

"Harry, please, may I have a word?" Harry turned around, and upon seeing the look on Hermione's face he excused himself immediately.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry said thoughtfully.

"I, I did it. I broke up with Ron," she said, almost cracking.

"Oh." Harry stiffened, but hugged his friend regardless. "Hermione, I'm going to go check on Ron, okay?" he said, pulling away from Hermione.

"Oh, yes, certainly; quite fine." She seemed dazed. He walked away, but gazed back at her. She was swaying slightly, and Harry couldn't help compare her to Luna Lovegood before turning back to ran down the hall and find Ron.

:::

"What is wrong with you?" Draco was angrily talking to a mirror again. Mirrors were his only escape nowadays. "You let that girl see that you weren't a complete jerk. Malfoy, you're slipping; you're slipping up."

"Draco?" Pansy cooed from the hall.

"I'll be right out," he called. He washed his face, grabbed his cloak and swept out into the corridor.

"Lunch, dear?" Pansy said in her sickly sweet voice.

"But of course," Malfoy replied sneering.

The food was great, as usual, but he would complain about it anyway and mock the teachers with his buddies.

"Oh, mail call." His friends laughed because Slytherin parents rarely sent any mail, especially not in seventh year. But just as Draco had finished laughing a letter landed right beside his plate. He wondered who could have sent him a letter.

"_Probably mum calling for some petty reason_," he thought, tearing the envelope open and reading the letter.

**Draco,**

**Meet me in the dungeons at 12AM. Come alone.**

The scrawl was unknown to him, but he knew he had better go; he had a feeling this meeting would be important. He stuffed the parchment in his trousers before anyone got a good look at it.

**"**Oh, Draco, do you want to come to the bathroom with me?" Pansy asked, nearly throwing herself at him.

"No, sorry, Pansy; I need to go to class for a change." His voice was hard as he stood up and walked out of the hall. His classes seemed to drone on for years, and when he finally got back to the Slytherin common room it was all he could manage to keep Pansy from attacking his face.

"Pansy, for the last time I do _not_ want you right now!" He stormed off to the prefect common room, a place where Pansy could follow him, but he knew she wouldn't.

He soon crashed into the room filled with sixth and seventh years who had spent their whole careers kissing ass.

"Er...sod off, will you?" he told some sixth years who had yet to complain about Draco's constant orders. They stood up and walked out into the halls, mumbling and muttering under their breaths.

"Malfoy, you're such a prat." He whipped his head around and was met by Granger's fierce brown eyes.

"Why thank you, Granger, that means a lot coming from you." He smiled slightly, throwing her off.

"I-er- what?" She shook her head. Malfoy laughed at her and settled into the couch to study until 11:30PM when he would venture down to the dungeons. This left him ample time to think, and thinking sucked lately. All he thought about was the girl in his dreams, who he had yet to discover, and Pansy, who he knew he had to get rid of.

"Malfoy? Malfoy, you look dead." Hermione was shaking him awake; he had drifted off into the same dream with Voldemort carrying off the mystery girl. "Malfoy, go to bed."

"Shut up, Granger! Wait-what time is it?" He was panicking, afraid he had missed the appointment.

"It's nearly twelve, so I'm going to bed, and I think you should, too." She seemed to almost care about his well-being, but Malfoy knew otherwise.

"Oh, well, move; _I_ need to be somewhere." He pushed her off, grabbed his bag, and swept off before she could utter anything more.

He reached the dungeons at exactly twelve but saw no one in the corridor.

"Hello?" he whispered into the dark, almost hoping no one would reply; but of course he was wrong, and someone replied immediately.

**"**Mr. Malfoy, glad you could make it." The dark figure moved out into the open and Malfoy gasped.

"Professor, I didn't-I wasn't expecting you," Malfoy sputtered, not really expecting it to be _Snape_who set up this secret meeting. "But, sir, why did you send an owl? Why not tell me after class?"

"Because, Draco, I did not want to be overheard. I have a mission for you, one you must not fail at like last time." Draco remembered Dumbledore for the first time in nearly six months and felt hollow. Lord Voldemort was going to entrust upon him another task. But Draco knew that if he failed this time, he was going to die.


	4. Chapter 4

"Harry. I really need you right now. I need my best friend." Her eyes were welling and Harry looked really uncomfortable.

"Hermione, i know, i know, but i'm not sure what to say to you. I love you, but this whole thing with Ron, well, i can't be comforting to both of you at the same time. And Ron asked me to lunch, i'm sorry, really. There's Ginny. Hermione, please, don't hate me." Harry was pleading, and Hermione nodded. She would talk to Ginny while Harry talked to Ron. It seemed perfectly logical. Yet, nothing seemed logical to Hermione much anymore.

"Bye, 'Mione" She mumbled her goodbye back to him and dragged herself over to Ginny.

"Oh, Ginny. Why is this hitting me so hard? I shouldn't be the one crying and fussing. I'm such a horrible person." She rested her head on Ginny's shoulder and Ginny patted the back of her head.

"Hermione, it's perfectly fine. You lost your first love, you're best friend. It makes sense." Hermione looked up, eyes wide and wet.

"I lost him, you mean it? Forever? I can't…" She was cut off by her own sobs. She didn't want to face that she'd never be able to laugh, to cry, to share another happy moment with one of her true best friends.

"Hermione, i'm sorry, so sorry." She held Hermione for a long while, they seemed truly like sisters in that moment, actually caring for each other. Hermione suddenly straightened and wiped her face quickly with the back of her hand.

"I'm going to go see someone." She said quickly and stumbled out of the portrait hole. She had no idea where she was going, but she did know she had to stop wallowing in self pity and do something. The next thing she knew, she was out in the middle of the 7th corridor. Suddenly she remembered the Room of Requirement. She closed her eyes and passed by the room three times muttering about getting away.

The door opened and she saw a wide expanse of armchairs and rows and rows of books. She smiled slightly and used a summoning spell to find her favorite ancient literature and settled into reading and forgetting about everything.

This didn't work out, because as soon as she sat down a familiar figure popped up and cussed at her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in here, you trespassing little- wait, Her-Granger?" Malfoy was standing across from her and yelling at her.

"Yes, Malfoy, it's me. How did you get in here?" Hermione was too bewildered to remember that Malfoy had found out about the Room in 5th year under Umbridge's command. But, Malfoy didn't reply. Malfoy had fainted dead on the floor.

:::

Malfoy was running. Running for his life. The problem was, he had no idea where he was running to, and no idea who he was running from. He didn't remember how he got here, but he knew that if he did not move, he wouldn't live. He dashed threw alleyways and past blank and bleak shop windows, he stopped suddenly remembering where he was. He was running towards Voldemort. He was running to save the girl. The girl whose identity was still unknown.

"Must… find… her" Draco opened his eyes. "I, where am i?" He demanded to an empty room. Madam Pomfrey come out from her office, and Malfoy realized he was in the Infirmary. "Madam? I, what? How did i get here?" Malfoy was so confused he forgot to be mean and spiteful.

"Hermione Granger brought you up, she said you had fainted. The girl was scared half to death, you gave her quite a fright, Mr. Malfoy."

"I gave her, Madam, i fainted?" Malfoy was taken back. He hadn't fainted in a few years.

"Yes, Draco, you fainted. I think it was due to either stress, bad dreams, or both. Have you been having problems lately?" Draco didn't dare tell the nurse of his task or the odd dreams he had been having lately.

"No, ma'am. I've been doing quite well." Draco was lying, but the nurse did not pick up on it.

"Yes, well, i'm going to call Hermione to take you up to your dormitory, as she requested." Draco was appalled. Hermione Granger, Gryfenndor, best friends with Harry Potter had _requested _to walk him up to his bed. He just sat there, mouth ajar until she swished into the room and started talking.

"Draco, i know you might be wondering why i'm going to be the one to take you down to your room, but it's only because i knew that you'd not like to explain the way you fainted to your Slytherin buddies, we all know how they are about that." She, of course, was referencing in third year when Draco had made fun of Harry for fainting around Dementors.

"Oh, shut up. I can do it myself, thank you." But as soon as the blonde haired boy stood, his legs buckled and he fell to his knees.

"Exactly, Draco. Here, hold on to my shoulder." Draco did what he was told, but he grimaced as she put a supporting had around his waist.

"Oh, shut up. Now, if i remember correctly Slytherin dorms are in the dungeons." She was correct, and Malfoy said nothing. He merely dragged along beside her.

"Oof, Draco, will you please put some effort into it?" Draco wasn't listening. He was just trying to put one foot infront of the other. Malfoy suddenly sank and then fell into darkness once more.

"Draco, Draco are you alright, Draco!" She was shaking him, and there were tears in her eyes. "Draco.." She trailed off and then looked into his deep grey eyes. "Draco, tell me what's happening." Then without thinking, Draco told this brown-haired girl all his secrets, everything that had been bothering him over the past week. Pansy, his dream, even Voldemort's new mission, something he would regret later. She just stared wide eyed, unable to speak. When Draco finally finished, he expected her to run away, find a teacher, get him expelled, but instead she said, "Draco. I'm going to help you." It was all he could do not to start tearing up just like her.


	5. Chapter 5

Draco woke up, fully clothed in his bed in the Slytherin boy's dormitory. He was a bit fuzzy on how he got there, but since we hadn't been undressed he felt fine. On his bedside table was a piece of parchment. He snatched it up and saw small loopy letters he read it quickly and the night came rushing back to him so quick he felt light headed.

**We'll need to meet soon to talk, we'll meet in the library, none of your friends should shoo up there. I'll be there every night this week, but you can stop by anytime. I really think i have a plan.**

**-H.G.**

He remembered how he told Hermione all his deepest secrets and wondered what she could have possibly formulated in that mind of hers. He forgot about it, stuffed the letter in a drawer, and went down to breakfast.

"Oh, Draco, i didn't get to see you yesterday, are you alright?" Pansy was pulling on his sleeves with the same force as an untrained puppy.

"Pansy, You didn't see me because i didn't _want _to see you. I'm not sure i ever want to see you unless i want a little action." Pansy gasped at Draco and slapped him in the face. Draco growled at her and pushed forward into her face. His lips were inches from hers, tempting her, but he pulled back before she could close the gap.

"Maybe we should see other people." He was a tempting devil, and he left her standing by the entrance hall, tears welling in her eyes. He went to sit with Blaise, his only sane friend.

"Oh, man, that was beautiful." Blaise clapped him on the back, laughed, and dug into his food. Draco's lips turned up in the corners, but felt sort of hollow. He had never been without Pansy since 2nd year when she sidled up to him during Potions class.

He drifted through his classes and after he had drifted off during Defense against the Dark Arts, he slipped down to the library, hoping Hermione was already there. Of course she was, talking quietly with Ms. Pinch about some Astronomy books. Draco sat at a nearby table and waited on her to finish.

"Oh, Draco, i didn't see you there. I wasn't expecting you today. I thought you'd wait until later in the week, well. Nevermind that, let me tell you what i have been thinking about." Draco looked up into her big brown eyes and almost smiled. She was quite handy.

"So first off i was wondering how Snape even got into the castle. He was fired and had to evacuate the building. I don't know how he could have gotten around the enchantments." Draco remembered something.

"Hermione, weren't Snape and Dumbledore the best of friends? Of course he would have knowledge about how to get around the enchantments." Hermione looked up.

"Oh, yes, of course. Okay, well, the only way you're going to be able to steal the sword-"

"Hey! Keep it down, okay! I don't want everybody to know."

"oh, well, okay, sorry. My idea is a bit tricky, but it's better than nothing. Also, i have to propose, after you have delivered the sword, i want you to confess and get some Aurors to take care of you and your family, you and your mom if your dad would rather stay with his master." She spat the last word and he understood, but he couldn't leave. He would have to stay if he succeeded or failed. So at Hermione's remark, he just smiled.

"Also, Draco, you have started calling me Hermione, which is really starting to freak me out." He laughed at her and smiled.

"And you keep calling me Draco." She gasped as she realized it.

"Oh, i guess i have, well, we'll just have to stop now won't we, Malfoy?" She laughed and started telling him stories of polyjuice and confundus charms. He leaned back in his seat and listened carefully.

:::

Hermione was sure her plan would work, but her plan required her to do things she never imagined possible. She would have to sneak into a headmistress's office, steal, and wander about the halls after dark. She shivered with anticipation. She'd never felt so bad before. The first thing she planned to do was sneak into McGonagall's office and talk to Dumbledore. It was going to be difficult, but she suspected she could use Harry's cloak and do it quickly, what she didn't know was how to get Harry to let her borrow it. She frowned and went up to her famous best friend.

"Erm, Harry?" She said uncomfortably.

"Yeah, Hermione?" Harry eyed her suspiciously, she'd been acting odd lately and he didn't know exactly how to explain it.

"Well, the headmisstress wants me to, er… get Peeves to leave the corridor outside her office, and the only way i can think of is to scare him, but i can't do that without… uhm, sneaking up on him. Would it be possible for me to borrow the cloak ? Just for the night, of course." She looked up expectantly and Harry was taken aback. Hermione had never asked to use the cloak before. She was always one to try all other options before imposing on others. But since he had never lent Hermione it before, he quickly obliged.

"Oh, Harry, thank you, thank you." She pecked him on the cheek, took the cloak from his outstretched hand and raced out into the halls. He looked at the empty hall infront of him, shrugged, and left to look for Ron.

Hermione had timed the excursion to happen as her Transfiguration class was going on. She looked at the gargoyle, sweared to herself and tore of the cloak. She was taking a risk, but she tried anyway.

"Hello there, uhm… Mr. Gargoyle, my name is Hermione Gran-" She was interrupted by the strange stone creature turning towards her.

"Oh i know who you are. I got special orders about you and a few of your friends from Dumbledore himself, before he passes, a'course," the gargoyle seemed to smile and continued, "I was told to let you pass anytime, so go on up, okay? Tell Dumbledore i said 'hello'." The gargoyle moved to the side exposing a spiral staircase. She just stared at it dumbfounded until she realized the gargoyle was staring at her. She mumbled her thanks, threw on the cloak, then bounded up the stairs.

The room looked exactly as it had the last time she had been in the room, nearly a year ago while Dumbledore still breathed. She sighed, then looked for Dumbledore on the pictures lining the walls. She spotted him right in the middle, behind the large wooden desk. She pulled off the cloak, and to her surprise all the pictures in the room gasped. She had forgotten about them, she only had eyes for the grey-haired, half-moon spectacle wearing headmaster she had had for her whole career. He didn't gasp, he merely smiled down at her.

"Hermione, how great it is to see you, what have you come for?" Dumbledore's deep voice almost reduced Hermione to tears, she had almost forgotten how wonderful it was. She composed herself and looked into his deep blue eyes.

"Headmaster, i have a favor to ask." Hermione set her feet and looked ahead with great strength. "Mufflaito," she whispered so that she and the ex-headmaster could speak in private.

"Dumbledore, i know this is a grand favor to ask, but it needs to be done, it is for the safety of a student." Dumbledore nodded, and she continued, "I need to know where the sword of Godric Gryffendor is."

Dumbledore looked at her with great contemplation. "Hermione, dear, i'm sorry, but i cannot help you. I gave that sword to someone i knew would keep it safe until the right person needed it. Of course, this all depends on the person who needs help."

Hermione knew Dumbledore meant Harry, so she took a deep breath and muttered "Harry needs it sir. Harry does." She looked up after she told the lie, and she could tell Dumbledore had bought it. His eyes were wide, and his smile had nearly vanished. "This may sound strange, but i need to see Harry first, okay Hermione, immediately. Only you and Harry." She nodded and flew down the spiral staircase to find Draco.

She found him with his buddies in the dungeon hallway. During their meeting they had set up a series of signals to make sure their corresponding friends never saw them with someone they were supposed to hate. Hermione crept up close to Draco, tapped him twice on the shoulder and waited for him to respond. He turned slowly, told his friends something about going to the bathroom and walked down the hall. Hermione touched his arm and he followed the feeling toward a deserted corridor, Hermione whipped off the cloak, hurriedly told Draco what happened in the headmistress's office, and dragged him up to the door.

"But, Hermione, I'm not Harry!"

"oh, but you will be," She pulled out some Polyjuice, and forced it into Draco's hands. "I had some on hand, just incase. Looks like that was a good idea." She dropped a single black hair from her robes.

"Er- are you sure that's Potter's?"

"Yeah, I made sure to get one when i got the cloak." He eyed her suspiciously, but he drank anyway. He saw his hands bubble and his robes flutter. Soon it looked as if Harry Potter was standing outside of McGonagall's office, and not Draco Malfoy.

"Oh, Hermione! I'm wearing Slytherin!" he pointed at the crest on his sweater, and she frowned. She gasped suddenly, waved her wand, and the crest on her sweater and the crest on his switched. She whipped off her sweater, revealing a white buttonup and wrapped her own cloak tighter around her.

Hermione talked to the gargoyle guarding the stairs. The gargoyle lept aside, letting Hermione Granger and Harry Potter into the office. She walked up to Dumbledore's frame and introduced Dumbledore. Dumbledore's eyes started brimming, and Draco recalled how much the old man had cared about Harry. Draco tried to seem really excited about seeing Dumbledore again, and he accomplished it quite well.

"Okay, Harry, the time has come, i guess. The sword is with my brother. There isn't much else to say, you can find him, i'm sure." And with that, he walked out of the side of his picture frame, to one of the many portraits of him elsewhere.

Draco looked up at Hermione, who's brain, he could tell, was working mechanically.

"Draco, i need to do some research, meet me in the library, ten o'clock tomorrow, evening, bring your copy of Hogwarts, A History." He nodded and they walked down the corridor, separated, and walked away.


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione was walking down the hall toward Gryffendor tower. She had the Invisibility Cloak wrapped around her as she whispered the password to the fat lady and walked through the door. She whipped it off in the deserted common room and sighed. She had no idea where Dumbledore's brother could be. He was sure her research would get her no where, but she needed to try. The only thing she knew about Dumbledore's brother was his name, Aberforth Dumbledore. And that wasn't much to go on. But he was sure she and Draco would find something.

She folded up the cloak, put it beside her bed, and went to sleep.

"Hermione, get up!" She woke to find Ginny shaking her shoulder. "Hermione, we're going to be late, Ron is willing to talk to you!" Hermione shot up into a sitting position, eyes wide.

"You mean it, really?"

"If you aren't late! Put on some clothes and come one." Ginny pulled Hermione's hand and led her to her trunk. Hermione shooed her away, got dressed, and raced down to breakfast with Ginny.

Ginny approached Harry and Ron and asked Ron something that Hermione could not hear. Hermione was biting on her nails, and fretting. Ginny came back up to Hermione and smiled. She grabbed her hand and led her to sit next to Harry. Hermione smiled up and him and peered around him at Ron. Ron looked at her then turned away. Hermione's smile faltered slightly, but then she recovered and started chatting with Harry and Ginny. Sometimes Ron would say something to Harry, but he didn't say anything to Hermione directly. But it was a start. A very slow start.

Hermione couldn't focus in Ancient Ruins, she was beaming at everyone in sight. And she even mistranslated some stone tablets several times. She didn't mind. She gave the teacher a lame excuse, and skipped on through the remainder of her classes. She'd nearly forgot about her meeting until 9:30. She cursed at herself and flew down many flights of stairs to the schools library.

She came huffing in only minutes to ten. Of course, Draco wasn't there yet, but she needed to look for some good books to do some research. She kept telling herself this would be just like Nicholas Flemel. She would find something, and they would be able to do something. But, Nicholas Flemel was famous, and Dumbledore's brother was far from.

She had her head in a book when Draco walked into the library and plopped down next to her. He slammed down his book and she jumped.

"Do you really think we'll find anything in here? I mean this Aber-whatever guy wasn't famous."

"I know, Draco, but it'll be wise to look for something. Records, newspapers, anything."

"So, why did you want me to bring this stupid book, anyway? I would think you had about 12 copies yourself."

"Oh, not quite, only three, but of course, two were lent to Harry and Ron, and never given back, and the last was borrowed by one Neville Longbottom."

"Ah, i see. Well, what is this going to tell us?"

"Where the Dumbledore's lived, of course." Draco looked at her like an idiot. This book has no records of anything before the 19 hundreds.

"I know what you're thinking, but that's not what i'm talking about. It's right here." She had pointed to the front page with the printing information.

"What are you talking abou-" Draco was cut off by Hermione's gasp.

"Aha! here it is! Bathilda Bagshot's address!" Draco gaped at her, and she nodded slowly. They were going to have to go see the writer of Hogwarts, A History.

:::

"Draco." Draco turned around and saw no one. Suddenly he was falling. And then stopped inches from the ground, he looked up and saw two red eyes in a sea of black mist. "Draco." He heard his name again, but the voice was different. Female. The mist cleared and he was looking at a field. He was the only one there, and he knew he had to find the person attached to the voice. He ran and ran, ran until he couldn't run anymore. He fell to his knee just as the scene changed. He was in the Malfoy Manor, but it was different. The floors had gaping holes, and the roof was nearly completely torn off. "Draco, bring me what i want." The voice was snake-like, sinister. He knew it was Voldemort's. He sunk down to his knees, and heaved huge sobs. He was going to fail. Voldemort was going to kill his parents. "Draco. Draco, come quickly." The voice was female again. And the scene had changed as well. He was in the school, in some hallway he'd never seen. He was running. But he didn't get anywhere.

"DRACO GET UP YOU LAZY BUM" Blaise was yelling at him.

"Ahhh, wha'?" Draco lifted his head off the pillow and Blasie laughed at him.

"Are those tears, Draco, were you crying last night?" Draco felt his face and realized he must of actually cried during his dream.

"No, for your information, that is sweat. I was having a very heated dream, if you know what i mean." The two friends laughed and headed down to breakfast.

"Hey, Blaise, do you know when the next trip to Hogsmead is?" Draco turned expectantly toward his friend.

"Ah, yeah, should be one right before winter break, you going back home this year?" Draco shook his head. Hogwarts had so much more in store than his home full of awkward silences and forced smiles. He's rather spend Christmas with Professor Slughorn than his father, and this said a lot. Slughorn was one of his most loathed professors.

"Hey, Malfoy, you've been acting weird lately, are you alright?" Blaise was leaned over slightly, looking into Draco's cool grey eyes.

"Peachy, Zabini, peachy." Draco's face pulled back into a sly grin, and he and his friend laughed. But Draco forced it slightly. Something was wrong. He was going to die, but, he needn't bother Blaise with that.

After breakfast the blonde boy straightened up and left the Hall, stalked to his first class. The teachers droned on endlessly. He was finally reprimanded by the headmisstress during Transfiguration for sleeping in class.

"Malfoy, please keep the dozing in your dormitories and not my classroom." She gave him a cold glare, then continued to lecture the class on how to alter facial hair.

As he flopped down onto his bed a letter fell into his life from nowhere. It was from Hermione. She had obviously had the same idea as him, because the letter said they would be seeing Bathilda right before Christmas break. He ripped up the letter, tossed it to the fire, and tucked into his bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione sat bolt upright in her bed sweat dripping down her face. She had just experienced a horrible dream. Everyone around her was dead, and she was freezing cold, as if Dementors surrounded her, except there weren't any. She wiped her face with a handkerchief, and looked at her bedside clock. The clock said it was only 3 o'clock. But it was Friday, tomorrow everyone would be walking down to Hogsmeade to chat at the Three Broomsticks, or buy candies at Honeydukes, but she and the boy whom she had always despised would be headed for Godric's Hallow. She sank back down into sleep, sleep that this time was not punctured by nightmares.

. . .

"Draco, are you ready?" Hermione was standing in the Shrieking Shack with Malfoy. It had taken them a while to slip away from they're respective friends. Hermione had claimed her stomach was upset and left Harry and Ginny at Honeydukes, staring after her. And Draco had slipped by Crabbe and Goyle before even reaching the little town.

Hermione had almost perfected Transfiguring appearances, something that was coming in handy right about now. She had changed Draco's white-blonde hair a dark brown, and had grown it out a few inches. She had also given him a few facial lines to make him seem older, and stubble.

"Oh, Draco, i just love you as a brunette." She giggled to herself, and he smirked at her.

"You'd better change yourself, Hermione, i think it'd look a bit suspicious for you to be hanging out with a _much _older man." Malfoy winked and Hermione gaped at him looking purely horrified.

"Oh, you _prat." _She pushed him and turned her wand on herself, pushing her brown locks back into her scalp, giving herself a tidy black bob and eyebrows to match. She made herself grow a few inches so she came almost to Malfoy's nose.

"There, good?" She looked over them, and nodded quickly. They were nearly indistinguishable. Malfoy felt a surge of happiness in his gut. He was starting to like being around Hermione. He smiled largely. She was actually quite pretty, he noticed. No, she isn't, he told himself, she's a mudblood and would never be attractive. The smile fell off his face, and he stared at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Now, have you passed the Apperation test?" She looked at him appraisingly, and he shifted his weight. Malfoy had passed his test, but just barely, he wasn't sure if he could make it to a destination he had never see before. Hermione nodded and grabbed his arm.

"I guess we'll have to do Side-Along, now won't we. Now hold on, tightly." Then she turned on the spot, and they were no longer in the dank and dark shack. They were on a street covered in snow. The street had looming lampposts on both sides; Hermione looked the street over, assessed which way to go, and pulled Malfoy along. Draco looked down at her hand on his arm; he shivered slightly, then looked up to follow her down the street. She was walking briskly, obviously completely aware of her destination, Draco, however, had completely forgotten the address, so he was just dragging after Hermione down the deserted road. Everyone seemed to be either inside, or out in shops doing some late Christmas shopping.

Finally Hermione stopped abruptly outside of a little shabby ranch-style house, and walked up to the front step. She brushed herself off, cleared her throat, and then knocked three times on the wooden door. A few moments later a squat woman in dark green robes that looked as if they hadn't been washed in a while opened the door. She looked confused for a moment, then ushered the two wizards inside her home.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Bagshot. I'm sorry me and my friend have imposed ourselves upon you, but we needed to ask you a few questions regarding a Mr. Albus Dumbledore." Bathilda Bagshot's eyes had been flicking back and forth between Draco, Hermione, and her own shoes, but as soon as she heard Dumbledore's name, her head popped up and she smiled widely at Hermione, showing she was missing quite a few teeth.

"Ah. Dumbledore. He was quite the child. And i know most everything about him. He grew up to be quite the wizard, the best i've yet to see. What do you need to know?" The womans voice was low and raspy, like she hadn't used it for quite some time, however she seemed nice enough.

"Miss, i'd hoped you could tell us about Albus Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth." She was speaking in a hushed voice, as if at any moment the woman would realize who they were and kick them out of her house. She did not, yet, her smile faltered slightly at the mention of Dumbledore's brother.

"Aberforth wasn't nearly as gifted as his brother. He was a slack wizard, had no ambitions, like his brother, wanted to finish school and find a job. He didn't want to make history, not like Albus." Bathilda was staring off into space at this point, talking in a dreamy tone, Hermione was sure she had forgotten about the two teenagers in her living room.

"Ms. Bagshot, i was thinking more along the lines of now. We are looking for Mr. Dumbledore." Bathilda looked sideways at Hermione.

"Madam, Dumbledore is dead." She shuttered slightly and turned away, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Oh, no, no, you misunderstood me. I meant Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother." Hermione's voice was a bit forced, for she had choked up too, hearing about Dumbledore's death always did that to her. Bathilda turned back toward her, face stained with tears.

"Get out of my house. I don't need this." Hermione let out a tiny gasp and turned to Draco, but he had already stood up and walked to the front door.

"Maybe we should leave, Hermione." But Hermione sat quite still, staring at Bathilda, mouth ajar.

"But, Ms. Bagshot I-"

"GET OUT NOW!" She stood up, and pointed at the front door. Hermione let out a squeak, ran to Draco's side, and they flew out into the deserted street, the sound of choked sobs following them.

Hermione looked wild-eyed at Draco, but he wasn't looking, he was staring at a neighboring house, well, it wasn't a house, it was a pile of rubble. He walked slowly up to it, eyes squinted slightly. When he got nearly a foot away the house changed into a statue of a family. A man with spectacles and wild hair, a beautiful young woman, and a baby, all smiling widely. Draco turned away as he realized what he was looking at. He shouldn't be here. He didn't belong.

"Hermione, come look at this." He called to her softly.

"What is this…" She trailed off as she looked up at the large statue. She looked down at the plaque under it and read quickly.

"Draco, this is a monument to the Potter family!" She was crying, really crying. "I need to bring him here. Sometime. This is… this is beautiful, inspiring. How could i have never-" She was cut off by Draco.

"Hermione, this is all good and well, but we need to be getting back. Really. You can bring Potter over winter break." Draco pleaded with his eyes. He needed to leave soon, the feeling was excedingly uncomfortable. He grabbed her waist and pulled her to an alleyway. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, took his hand and Apperated with him back to Hogsmeade.


	8. Chapter 8

Draco had left the shack the minute they appeared back in it. He regretted going. They learned nothing, and he'd watched two woman cry over the man he'd almost killed. _But you didn't. _But he'd tried. And that made it even worse. He was a coward.

He shuffled into the dungeons and started on Snape's horrible N.E.W.T. work, and tried to forget everything that had happened. He didn't succeed, and by ten, he'd only gotten an inch down on his essay. He sighed, stuffed his essay into his bag, and went up to his dorm room.

Again he awoke in the wee hours of the night with nightmares and second thoughts. He brushed them off and slept again, this time until his alarm rang. He had slept far from soundly, but he got up to face History of Magic, and the horrible textbook that would remind him of yesterday afternoon. He grimaced, dressed, and stalked off to class.

The lesson was so boring Draco found himself dozing off, but he couldn't sleep, not when the threat of nightmares was so constant. He kept his eyes open for most of the lesson, he ended up staring at his three enemies. "Well, two now," he thought. Hermione was far from his enemy. He smiled slightly at the though, then turned back to the depressing teacher, who was going on about ancient giant treaties.

:::

Hermione lifted her head out of an old newspaper that was dated nearly 70 years previous. It read about the Dumbledore family, and how two people, a mother and a daughter, had died in such a close time period to each other. There was a portrait of the whole family. Hermione looked down at it, thinking. She was staring at Dumbledore. She felt a knot in her stomach form, she promised herself she wouldn't cry, though. She looked at the man next to Dumbledore. He was slightly shorter, with a rounder, less pointed face, Hermione took him to be Aberforth. He look familiar, but she couldn't place him in her head.

"Think, Hermione, think." She had spoken aloud.

"Talking to yourself again, 'Mione?" Hermione looked around, suspecting to see Draco with a sneer, but instead she saw Ron, looking down at his scuffed shoes.

"Ro-Ron?" She stuttered. His voice sounded so foreign, he hadn't spoken to her since October. "Oh, Ron, i can't even begin to expl-" But he cut her off.

"Hermione, i feel like a right git. All these years, i'd thought you'd never go for me, but i was wrong. And then when you, that day, well, you know, i felt as if the best thing that had ever happened to me had been taken away, but i don't think i was right. I think that i kind of made it this way. I miss you 'Mione, i miss you a lot, and i'm not trying to get back together with you… i just, i just want my best friend back." He grinned slightly and Hermione ran at him, flung her arms around him and gave him the biggest hug she could muster.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his striped sweater, "So sorry." He pat her on the back, and sighed. It was a platonic hug, a hug of relief, almost. He would never kiss her again, tighten his hand around her waist, none of that. But he had his best friend back, and that was all that mattered.

She emerged from the hug, water dripping from her brown eyes, and deep noises coming from her throat. She was so happy, she couldn't even put words to it, she could only stand there gaping at her first real friend. She grinned at him as he asked if she would accompany him to dinner. She left the newspaper, and thoughts of it, behind on the table.

Harry was beaming, Ginny was giggling, and Hermione sat in her old spot, between Harry and Ron. She didn't say anything when Ron started shoveling mountains of food down his throat, not today, not anymore. Instead she smiled brightly to everyone and forgot about all the woes in her life, including her task with Draco Malfoy.

Suddenly, Filch stalked in and pushed his way up to the teachers chairs, he whispered something in Professor Slughorn's ear, and he followed Filch out of the hall, his pudgy limbs carrying him as fast as they could manage. Hermione frowned, then without thinking, stood up, murmured something about stomach trouble, again, and walked out after the two men. They had just turned a corner as Hermione took off after them, she was running, making quite sure her footfalls were not heard. Filch guided Slughorn into the library, where none other than Draco Malfoy was standing.

"Found him stalking 'bout the forbidden section, quite the weasel this one is, i ne'er liked tha' boy m'self." Filch was prattling on, but Slughorn nodded earnestly.

"I think ten points from Slytherin and detention next saturday will do you good, Mr. Malfoy." Malfoy nodded sullenly, then his eyes landed on Hermione, who was hiding in a corner, out of sight. His eyes bulged, then he controlled himself, he would tell her what he knew in due time.

At this point Hermione remembered the newspaper article, and Aberforth Dumbledore, she gasped inaudibly, she remembered the man.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry, this one's really short, but alas, I love cliffhangers. :D**

Hermione was running through corridors, a few minutes later. Many younger students were looking at her as she flew past. She wasn't concerned she only had one thing on her mind. Aberforth. She had to find Harry. Had to confirm her thoughts, she wasn't thinking of anything else, and so when she flew into the bespeckled boy, she nearly knocked him over.

"Er, Hermione, are you alright?" She was panting, and she asked him slowly about her suspicions.

"Harry… who… is… the… Hog's Head… barman…" She nearly keeled over, Hermione wasn't much of a runner.

"Hermione, i haven't a clue, what we haven't been in there since 5th year when we were-" Hermione cut him off

"For the first D.A. meeting yeah, but i thought you'd've… nevermind. I'll be back." She left him there, staring at her back, mouth ajar. She darted down corners, through passageways Harry showed her from the Maurader's Map, and soon she found herself outside the Herbology classroom, where she saw just who she wanted to see chatting with Professor Sprout.

"…And that's why i let Professor Slughorn keep most of the dangerous plants in jars in his cupboard. Oh, Hermione, how nice, need you something?" Professor Sprout greeted Hermione quickly, but was taken aback by the girls panting and haggard pleas.

"I…can…i…see…Neville…need." Hermione wasn't much of a runner and everyone knew it. Neville looked up at his name, saw Hermione, and helped her over to the nearest bench while Professor Sprout moved back into her garden classroom.

"Hermione, are you alright? What'd're you doing here?" Neville didn't understand why Hermione Granger wanted to see him, they hadn't really encountered each other since the end of 5th year after they'd escaped from the Ministry and Voldemort.

"I…Neville, do you remember the first D.A. meeting?" But Hermione was cursing herself, Neville never remembered a thing. He was the most forgetful person she had ever met, so she was appalled when he answered.

"Yes, yes, why, though? It's been nearly 2 years."

"We met in the Hog's Head. Do you remember the barman?" Hermione was looking at Neville in a peculiar way. He was a bit confused, but he answered nonetheless.

"Yeah, 'course, sometimes i go see him, he's quite a man, Aberforth is, he tells me a lot, about his brother and stuff. I never… i never told anyone about him, not 'til now, i… Hermione?" Neville had just looked at Hermione and discovered her, mouth open, and standing half-way out of her seat.

"I, er, i have to go." She stood up completely and walked through the halls, leaving Neville completely bemused outside of his favorite classroom.

She pounded down the stairs to the dungeons and waited outside of Draco's last lesson. She lurked in the shadows until all of his friends had gone, then walked out to greet him.

"Draco. I've found him. I found Aberforth." Draco stared open-mouthed at the girl infront of him, and forgot all else in the world, he had found his savior. He didn't think, and pressed his lips to hers.


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione pulled away quickly. "I…you…i can't…you…" She pushed away from him and ran down the hall. She felt dirty. Like she'd just kissed something evil. He looked after her as she fled up to her dormortary. But she wasn't looking. She was running as if her life depended on it.

Luckily she met no one on her way to her room, she sat down hard on her bed, closed her eyes, and let her mind wander. What just happened? Did he mean to kiss her? Was she sending wrong signals? Did he think she liked him? She shook her head, as if doing so would shake the thoughts out of her head. It did no such thing. She laid back on her bed, fully clothed, and let her feelings cover her. Soon she was asleep.

. . .

"You're an idiot, an idiot." Draco was repeating that line over and over in his vacant dormitory while banging his head on one of the posts of his large wooden bed. He didn't stop until one of his Slytherin friends came in to check on him.

"'Ey, Malfoy, you alrigh'?"

"Yeah, fine." He pushed Crabbe away, and sank back into his bed. He put a cold hand over his face and sighed. He deliberated about what he was going to do.

"Tomorrow, i'll tell her i was delirious, and i was half asleep. That must of been it, no way i'd ever kiss a nasty mudblood." He was talking into his pillow. He was fully clothed, but he didn't care. He fell into sleep, cursing himself for such a mistake.

:::

Hermione stuffed her arms into a sweater, and pulled her skirt on. She decided she wouldn't tell anyone about last night. Especially not Ron. She shuddered at the thought, and ran down the stairs to the common room to meet her friends to go to breakfast.

She sat down between Ron and Harry and looked up into their faces. She felt her stomach sink, she felt like she had betrayed them. She looked down at her plate and barely talked the whole time.

The bell was her savior, because Arithimacy was a class where she needn't face anyone. She sighed as she sat in her seat and pulled out her parchment and quills. But soon her mind started to wander. She couldn't help thinking of Draco and how she had grown so close to him in the past few weeks. She wondered if he ever really hated her only because of her blood. She quickly got her mind off the subject. _Draco Malfoy is a parasite, and he's not attractive. _She told herself this over and over, through all of her classes.

"He's not attractive," She said out loud in Transfiguration.

"What? Who's not attractive," Ron asked, a quizzical look on his freckled face.

"Oh," Hermione gasped and threw a hand over her mouth. "Nothing, sorry," She blushed and turned her wand onto a mannequin making it look quite lifelike. Ron looked at her funny, but then shrugged and worked on his own spell.

As dinner was finishing and Hermione was walking up to the library alone, she felt someone pull her back into an empty classroom. She tried to yell, but someone had put a spell over her. She turned to face the culprit, and it was, of course, Draco Malfoy.

Hermione felt the curse lift, and she yelled "What do you think you're doing!" Draco just turned to face her, trademark smirk covering his face.

"Last night was a mistake, Hermione, I was careless because of so many sleepless nights, a mistake, okay?" He looked into her eyes, and for a second he saw hurt, but soon they changed from hurt to understanding, relief.

"Oh, thank you! I was scared that you actually liked me, this just felt…" She trailed off, i did, in fact seem wrong, but she couldn't tell herself that it _felt _wrong. She shook the thoughts off and said "I need to go to the library, good luck." He pulled her back.

"Good luck? You're still going to help me, right?" She looked into his steel grey eyes, and noticed how they were etched with pain and fear, she had the sudden urge to reach out and make him feel better, but she controlled herself.

"Draco, you know what to do, there's nothing else i can do." She didn't look at him. But she didn't have to. He turned from her, and sped out of the classroom, she was sure she heard him mumble something like "i need you" as he walked past. She assured herself she imagined it, and walked to the library, unaware of Colin Creevey passing her as she walked out of the empty classroom.


	11. Chapter 11

Colin gasped as he saw Malfoy walk out of a classroom, and Hermione close behind. He ran up to Gryffendor tower to tell Harry that his best friend was fraternizing with the enemy. Colin burst into the portrait hole after practically yelling _gurdyroot _at the Fat Lady.

"Harry, Harry," Colin yelled, running over to his bespeckled idol. "You'll never guess what i saw!" Colin recounted the tale of Draco and Hermione's meeting to both Harry and Ron, who was seated right beside Harry. They both stared at the skinny 6th year, and speed-walked down to the library.

Ron snarled to Harry "That little git, how dare he! I bet he forced her in there, i bet he was abusing her! Oh, when i get my hands on his greasy little head, he'll be regretting the day he ever popped out of his old mum" Harry let Ron simmer, but was thinking to himself. Colin said that Hermione looked quite calm, so Harry was almost sure she hadn't been in there by force, or against her will. The only thing he didn't know was why his best friend would be in a deserted classroom with his enemy, one that had tried to kill their role model.

Ron pushed past some chatting 3rd years, and made his way over to his ex-girlfriend, his flushed face nearly as red as his hair. Hermione looked up from _Ancient Runes; East Asia_, and found Ron's blue eyes, and she closed it quickly. Harry came up right beside Ron. Harry's mouth opened to say something, but Ron beat him to it.

"Have you been meeting with _Malfoy_?" Ron basically spat the word, then searched her deep chocolate eyes with his. Her mouth opened in a small "o" as she deliberated what to say. Quickly she decided.

"What? Ron, that's preposterous? Me meeting with the boy i assaulted and has been calling me names for the past 6 years of my life? Rich, that is" She listened to herself, and slowly realized that what she just said was true. She regretted everything, the kiss had been a reminder of how much of an imbecile she had been for the past few months. She shook her head, and focused on the matter at hand.

She was sure her little story would ease Ron's mind, but he looked even more furious than before, he turned to Harry and muttered something in his ear.

Harry stepped forward, and said "Then why were you meeting with him in a deserted classroom?" Harry needed answers, and he needed them now. Hermione just looked at her two friends, horrorstruck. She knew this would happen. They weren't idiots, they would have found her out eventually, but she was at a loss for words. She just sputtered at them, as they looked at her, wonder and horror etched into their pale faces.

"What do you _think _i'm doing with him? Having make-out sessions?" She chuckled and looked up at them, her regained composure seemed to have reassured them, because they were smiling half-heartedly.

"I've been helping the idiot with," She racked her brain, thinking of a class neither of them had, and settled on Runes, she picked up her book and shoved it at them, "Ancient Runes. He has been tripping up every class, finally he dragged himself to me, begging to be tutored. I couldn't say no, could I?" She stopped and looked at them, seeing if they bought it.

"Of course you could've! He's a right git, and you know it!" He was fuming, but at Malfoy now, and not Hermione.

"Of curse he is! But it's our duty to help everyone we can even if they're-"

"A Death Eater?" Harry had cut her off, the look in his eyes dark and defeated. "Just don't get to close to him Hermione, scum like that will backstab you in a second. C'mon Ron, she needs to study." Ron looked back at her, curiosity still set in his freckled face. But soon he set off after Harry, leaving Hermione alone with her thoughts. And that was the last thing she needed.

:::

Draco hefted himself into the deserted common room. He was restless so he decided to visit the library to find some information about the Hog's Head, and to maybe steal a Hogsmeade schedule off someone in a younger year. He walked in and found a table to set his bag at. He went through the isles, not heading much, and soon he heard voices on the other side of the library. Nosiness ran in his family, so he walked over and eavesdropped behind a particularly large plant.

"…helping the idiot with Ancient Runes. He has been tripping up every class, finally he dragged himself to me, begging to be tutored." Hermione's sweet, high voice wafted toward him, he wondered who he was talking about, but his thoughts were interrupted by Harry's quick words.

"A Death Eater?" _Me, they are talking about me. _Then Draco remembered she'd called him an idiot, and he straightened. Soon his enemies walked away, and Draco made a split-second decision.

"Idiot, am i?" He called as he walked over to the surprised brunette. "I'm still a Slytherin, you know, sneaky, and cruel. I thought I'd be the first one to tell my friends how idiotic you were." Hermione was taken aback, surely he knew that she was just covering for him, surely he knew she had lied. But one look into his pale grey eyes, and she knew he wasn't playing around.

"I regret everything. This was just a hair brained scheme. You were a pawn, i never needed you. You found me when i was vulnerable, and i saw you as useful you're gullible, and idiotic. I. Regret. Everything." Every word hit her like a punch in the gut. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Don't play tricks on me, Granger. We knew this was going to happen. Goodbye." He turned abruptly and crossed the library to find his bag, and left the girl crying silently in the corner. He felt remorse, but no one insults a Malfoy and gets away with it.


	12. Chapter 12

Hermione wiped her eyes and picked up her books. She was foolish for ever thinking Draco had changed-_Malfoy had changed_, she corrected herself. He was an evil swine. And she knew she would never let him know how much he'd hurt him. So she planned a mission. Payback, she was after all, what every one said, the most clever girl in their year.

She rounded a corner, and wiped her face once more. She strolled up to the gargoyle placed very precariously covering a wooden door, and said "Hermione Granger, here to see Albus Dumbledore." The gargoyle bowed, then leapt to the side, allowing the girl entrance. She was acting harshly, and spitefully, she had no plan, but she was blind with rage. She didn't even care if the Headmistriss was in her office. She'd already gone too far, but it turned out it didn't matter, because the office was empty, except the cabinets, the old wooden desk and all the previous headmasters and headmistresses hanging on the wall.

"Headmaster, i need to ask of you one thing, er, Harry wouldn't tell me, why do we need the sword of Godric Gryffendor?" She looked up at the old man, and a twinkle came to his eye.

"Oh, dear Ms. Granger, you'll need it to destroy Riddle's Horcruxes." Hermione gasped at the old, dark magic's name. She couldn't let Draco get his hands on that sword. Not if he was going to give it to He-who-must-not-be-named. She thanked her old headmaster, and walked out of the room, composing herself as she went. She tried to keep herself from bursting with emotion, and the only thing that helped was thinking back to third year when she'd punched Draco in the face. She gave a smirk that wold rival even him, and walked up to the common room, in search of her two best friends.

:::

"Harry!" Hermione ran over to the black and red haired boys and told them about the sword and how they needed it for the horcruxes.

"How do you know all this? Where to find it, i mean?" Ron said after she'd finished.

"I asked Dumbledore, of course, but i think, er, i think someone's going to try and get it before us. Hermione looked between the two boys and they uttered the same word at the same time.

"Malfoy."

The trio stood up and walked to the bulletin board. Hermione ran her finger down the Hogsmeade list until she found the nearest date.

"Hmm, March the 5th. Perfect. So, we'll leave early and get there before Dr-Malfoy, okay?" She stumbled over Draco's name, and Ron looked at her quizzically, then shrugged and looked over at Harry.

"Okay, so after we get this sword, we have to make a plan, and leave Hogwarts. We can never come back. Okay?" He looked into the large eyes of the two people he could always trust. Ron's eyes were fierce and loyal, but Hermione's were watery and distant. Harry ignored them, and continued.

They worked out a plan to use the trapdoor to Honeydukes Harry discovered in third year to get to Hogsmeade first, and they went over all the little details until nearly midnight. Ron stood up, stretched, and announced he was going to bed. Harry nodded, and he left without anymore words. Hermione got up to leave, but Harry grabbed her arm.

"I know." Hermione whipped around and looked Harry in the face.

"I know you've been lying, i can see right through you, 'Mione. You're-you're my best friend. What i don't understand is how you could fancy such a person. He's vile, and ruthless, he'll stop at nothing, not even murder, to get what he wants." Hermione just looked at Harry, but she stood up.

"Fancy?" She said cruelly, "I never fancied him, i was only helping him, Harry, i thought he'd changed, i thought he was different, i thought he was just a boy who played little tricks because no one loved him." She turned away, eyes ready to burst.

"He didn't only do schoolyard tricks, Hermione, i never told you this, but Draco Malfoy almost killed Albus Dumbledore." Hermione whipped around again, silent tears flowing down her cheeks.

"He, but, no, Harry, i thought, i thought-"

"I know! I never told anyone! I was always hoping it never happened! That Dumbledore wasn't dead, i couldn't stand that he was gone, i had to hold on to every piece of him i had. And if that one piece was that Malfoy nearly killed him, then so be it. You don't know what he's capable of, 'Mione, he's very well a murderer. G'night." And with that he turned and strode up the staircase to the boy's dorms leaving Hermione in a plush red armchair, processing information and crying silently into a dank, old pillow.


	13. Chapter 13

Early in the morning on the 5th, Draco pulled himself out of his bed, and slipped into his robes. He pulled a comb through his white-blonde hair, and stepped out into the dungeons outside of the Slytherin common room. He was met with Hermione Granger sticking her wand into his face. Her eyes bloodshot and wet.

"You coward. You devil. You _pig._ I trusted you! I tried to help you!" Tears were running down her face, and Draco felt something deep in his stomach, but he couldn't place it.

"Herm-"

"_NO! _Never say my name again. You almost killed the greatest wizard who ever lived, to save your own _worthless _back. You are the lowest of the low, you are a Death Eater, you are _filth._ I may have dirty blood, but my conscious is completely clean. How can you even live with yourself? You will never fulfill your task." Her wand swept across his alarmed face as she bellowed a spell.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" Draco felt himself turn as still as stone, and she turned around and left him alone in the deserted hallway, defeated.

. . .

Malfoy was trying to free himself, but it was no use without his wand, which was still stuffed in his robes. His only hope was that someone would pass the hallway or come out of the common room, but when someone did, all they did was look at him, laugh, and walk away. Slytherin's were all the same. Soon nearly everyone had filed out of the dungeon common room and had pointed and laughed at Draco, all except Crabbe and Goyle, who were so useless they didn't even know the counter curse.

Pansy Parkinson strolled out and stopped when she saw Draco, petrified on the spot. She walked over and leaned in to his ear.

"You need me now, don't you?" She leaned back, sniggered, then pointed her wand without uttering a word. Draco felt himself being unfrozen, and her leaned in to Pansy and kissed her lightly.

"Maybe i was too rash earlier, ah, well, gotta run." He straightened and ran down the dim hallway and out into the open grounds, Pansy staring dreamily after him. He chuckled at his little white lie, but remembered his mission, and ran at breakneck speed to the old pub.

When he got there, he was met with a rather old looking man cleaning the counter of the bar.

"'fraid you're too late, young man. I know who you're 'nyway, would'a never given you something' as valuable as that sword. You're a Malfoy. You'll get yours, boy." Malfoy just stared up at the barman and his defeat soaked in. He was bad. He was rotten to the core. And he'd ruined everything.

Slinking down the road, Draco thought of all his regrets, of everything he did wrong. "I blame my father. He made me this." But then he shook his head. Blaming others, always like him. He was a dirty lying cheat, and everyone hated him. He sighed deeply and walked back up the road completely oblivious to his surroundings. He bumped into a third year, who he growled at, she jumped back quickly and ran to rejoin her friends. He didn't even smirk, he just sighed again and walked over to a bench to collect his thoughts.

He had his head in his hands, thinking when suddenly his left arm seared with pain, he collapsed on the ground unable to take the pain.

"_Apparate to Malfoy Manor._" a high, shrill voice whispered in his ear. Her grunted at the pain, but straightened and turned on the spot, thinking of his beautiful home.

When he arrived his home was far from beautiful. Parts of it were on the ground, obviously blown off, probably by the Dark Lord himself. Draco shuddered and walked up to the house with all the strength he could muster.

He was pulled inside by Rookwood, who nearly broke his arm from grabbing him so hard.

"Argh, get off me! I can mange by myself, where's the meeting?" The Death Eater only sneered and chortled.

"No meeting. It's an execution." Draco's eyes widened and he felt his mouth drop open. This was what he was dreading. He was going to die, he was going to be killed.

"Boy! Why do you look so pale? This is going to be great! We caught one of Potter's friends. He'll have to come looking for them at some point. Such the fool, that boy is. He won't be alive much longer, though." He cackled and pulled Draco by the arm again. Draco was thinking hard. They'd caught Weasley? But how? He was racking his brain for an opportunity they could of had, but he had no time for thinking, he was thrust into a dark room where all he could see was a table full of hooded figures.

"Draco, come." Draco understood his father's voice, and shuffled over to the empty chair beside him. He looked around for red hair, but found none. Instead he saw a small figure with a sack over their head huddled in a corner.

"Father, who is-" But Draco was cut off by a shrill voice echoing through the room.

"We have come to view an execution, one that will be long and full of suffering. I plan on getting much information out of this one, especially how she knew i needed this." As he said the word he brandished the sword of Godric Gryffindor and Draco very nearly gasped out loud. _Hermione. _The Dark Lord whipped the hood off of Hermione showing her soot and tear covered face. She was squirming and trying to scream with the gag in her mouth.

Draco was terrified. He couldn't see this, he didn't even think that as soon as she told that he had spilled all the Dark Lords plans he would be killed as well. All that mattered was that Hermione got out. _This is what my dream was about. Hermione. Being taken away. Away. Not killed. I have to save her. _Draco looked up, and around searching for the Death Eater with Hermione's wand. He locater the wizard or witch quickly, for they were waving it around infront of Hermione's terrified face.

Draco caught a bit of luck as the Death Eater dropped it moments later under the dark wooden table.

"Accio wand." Draco muttered under his breath, he held his hand out under the table and caught it quickly without anyone noticing. He didn't have a plan, except he knew he had to make a diversion so that Hermione could sneak away. His decision was rash, and it was all he could do to catch Hermione's eye. She looked at him menacingly and turned quickly, staring at the old stone ceiling.

Draco stood up quickly, and all eyes were on him. "Expecto Patronum!" He bellowed with all his might, everyone cried with outrage as a silvery fox shot out of his wand and prevented Voldemort and his minions from grabbing Malfoy. He jumped over the table, shouted a cutting curse to free Hermione and ran out the door with her in tow.

"Dr-Draco, I-" Draco cut her off.

"SHUT UP AND RUN!" And they did, they ran until they were outside of the walls of Malfoy Manor. Draco grabbed Hermione's arm and Apparated to the only place he could think of.

"Draco, Draco! I'm-my hand is-" Her words were drowned out by her scream of pain. Draco turned to find her grasping her hand, which was missing her pinky and half of her ring finger.

"I wasn't concentrating. I was-" She faltered, turned and retched into a nearby shrub. "Do you have any… Essense of Dittany?" Draco didn't but he moved close to Hermione and put a hand over her unscathed one.

"No, I don't, here, let me wrap it." He waved his wand and made bandages wrap around her gushing wound. She flinched and moved closer to Draco. Draco stood up and thought hard of Essence of Dittany, the powder that would help ease Hermione's pain and suffering.

"Accio Dittany!" He screamed, still focusing on the powder and where in Snape's cupboard he had seen it.

"Draco, that'll never work!" Draco turned, teeth clenched, and muttered that it was worth a try. He sat down next to her as she started speaking in low haggard breaths.

"Where are we, anyway?" She whispered. Draco looked around and took in the dark sea-side canvas.

"My parents took me here when i was a baby, after i turned about 5 or so we never came back, i really missed it though, so i thought of this place." He looked down at her, and she was looking up at him. The tears in her eyes were even more prominent.

"Listen, Hermione, I'm so-" but he didn't get to finish that sentence because right at that moment a large jar of Essence of Dittany slammed him in the forehead, causing him to keel over, griping his head in pain.

"Draco! Draco, are you okay?" Hermione screamed at him, as he fought his way into a sitting position. He gurgled and laid down hard.

"Draco, get up, you can't sleep! Here, let me help." She waved her free hand weakly over his head, still clutched in his hands. He grunted then fell down completely, eyes closed.


	14. Chapter 14

**WOW. This one's really long, but I had to because I didn't want to just stop between thoughts. Blah blah blah, just read it, lovelies!**

Hermione picked up the Dittany and rubbed it on her arm and thought about the last few hours. She had gotten the sword, she had won, then suddenly she was taken by rough hands, she shuddered slightly at the thought, and was pushed into a dark alleyway where they apparated with her to a dark manor, which was when they covered her face with a thick black sack, and she was bound and gagged. Hermione walked over to Draco's limp body and leaned down over his body. She smiled and brushed some flyaway hairs off of his ivory face.

"Thank you." She whispered to unhearing ears. She scribbled a noted on some parchment she made appear, tucked it into his robes, and turned on the spot, Harry and Ron's faces swimming in her mind.

. . .

Draco opened his eyes and felt around for his wand. He whispered Hermione's name into the dark surrounding him, but no one responded. He yelled in anger, stood up, and felt something fall out of his dirty robes.

"Lumos," He muttered, as he bent down to pick it up, he read aloud, since he was clearly alone.

"_'Draco, I had to go back, we, i mean, Ron, Harry, and I, need to find something to defeat Voldemort, something no one knows about, that's why i had to take the sword, but of course, Voldemort has it now. I put you under a sleeping spell, if you didn't know, and i think you'll love that you now have a scar to rival even Harry's' _What?" He gasped and reached toward his forehead, but he felt nothing but a bump almost the size of his palm. "_' Well, a bump anyway,'_" He continued, "_' So this is goodbye, go back to your parents, i'm telling the Prophet, under an alias, that you were Imperiused by me to do my bidding. Don't make me regret my choices, Draco, you've been too kind. Thank you, Hermione Granger, Mudblood.'_" Draco faltered over the last word, and let out an exasperated chuckle. She'd never let him live that down. He stuffed the paper into his robe and Apparated to his home.

He was greeted by his father, who appeared, a look of pure hatred etched across his face.

"You _disgrace_. The Dark Lord thought you were a traitor! Explain." Lucius Malfoy spat the words at his only son, the evil look still imprinted into his features. Draco searched his mind and remembered everything he could about people put under the imperious curse, they don't have memories while they're under it, so he fiened ignorance.

"I don't know, Father, the last thing i remember, Hermione Granger attacked me outside my dormitory, and now i just woke up outside of town, i came home hoping you'd know what happened." Draco tried to sound full-hearted, but he knew he sounded a little flat, and unbelievable. His father pulled him into the dining room where he was yesterday and sat him down in one of the hard chairs.

He whipped out his wand and pointed it at Draco. "No son of mine will embarrass me like that, no matter what kind of curse, spell, or enchantment he was under." Draco leaned back in his chair, scared, he had faced many punishments from his father, but he wasn't sure if he could handle this one.

"Crucio!" Lucius's curse shot through the room and Draco bounced up into the air with the force of it. He was screaming in agony, the curse shooting throw him like millions of large creatures were trying to tear him apart. The treatment seemed to go on for hours until suddenly Draco felt himself land hard on the stone cobbled floor. He was trickling blood from where his hands broke his fall, and he was breathing hard, not daring to move.

"That will be all. To your room." Lucius pushed Draco to his feet and practically pushed him to the winding stairs. "And you're going back to Hogwarts in the morning," He called after Draco, "You're not disgracing our family anymore by not finishing school."

Draco fumbled to his empty room and flung himself into bed, fully clothed. He was asleep in minutes, mind totally blank and empty. He had the dream that hadn't plagued him in months. The one where the girl-Hermione, he identified her-was being dragged back by Voldemort. Draco wondered why this was happening again, because he was sure this had already happened. He screamed out her name, but no noise came out.

He woke up drenched in sweat, realizing he was still wearing his mud covered robes, he quickly threw them off, trading them for a thin t-shirt and striped pajama bottoms. He checked his clock and realized it was nearly 7 o'clock. He was so groggy he hadn't even realized the bright sun filtering through his window. He ran down the stairs and bumped right into his father who snarled at him.

"What are you doing, Draco? Get your clothes on, I have to take you back up to the school. And I have to ask you to do something to make up for your little blunder at our little, for lack of a better word, get together, last night." Lucius told his son about the latest task the Dark Lord had entrusted him with, mouth becoming slack, disbelief sinking into his every pore.

"You'll do it tonight, and we we'll come in through the cabinet after you've finished. Agreed?" Lucius looked down his upturned nose at his son, who looked paler than usual. "Redemption, son. You'll have no trouble if you think of what they did to you. Humiliation. No one talks bad about a Malfoy and gets away with it. Now go get dressed, I'd like to arrive before eight." Draco nodded and hurried upstairs and stuffed himself into his muggle attire, mind wandering the whole time.

His father was standing beside the fire as he walked slowly down the stairs, almost preferring to stay at this hellish home, than return to Hogwarts and the daunting task that awaited him. He shook his head, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and screamed his school's name into the dark fireplace. He felt the floor shift, and landed gracefully in the headmisstress' office. He greeted her petulantly, then walked out into the hall to ask someone about Hermione Granger.

He pulled Seamus Finnigan aside outside of the Great Hall, and all but forced him against a wall.

"Do you know where Granger, Weasley, or Potter is, Finnigan?" Draco felt all his rage and fear pour out onto the smaller boy.

"No, but i haven't seen them since Hogsmeade. I think they left for something. Why do you care anyway, Malfoy, crushing on Hermione." Seamus sneered, and Draco jabbed him with his wand.

"I hope you haven't forgotten my family's past, Finnigan, you probably wouldn't want to cross me." He smiled and pushed the teen past him, and into the crowd pouring out of the Great Hall. Draco ran his hands through his ruffled hair and sighed. He pushed aside everyone to get down to the Entrance Hall. He was thinking hard, and against all his efforts his white-blonde hair was falling into his eyes. He sank down onto one of the benches in the Entrance Hall. He closed his eyes and thought hard.

His eyes opened quickly, and he ran out of the castle and into the neighboring town, not caring that he was breaking several school rules, he waited until he was in the center of town before Apparating to a fairly familiar dark street. He ran quickly towards a completely destroyed house, where he saw three seemingly unknown people looking up at a gleaming statue. Draco gasped, and ran up to the woman.

"Hermione," He breathed, and she jumped at the sight of him.

"Dra-Malfoy?" She said in a raspy voice. The two other men were staring at him, the taller one was red and flustered, the shorter was standing stock still and followed Draco's every move.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" Hermione pushed him aside, and looked stern. Draco tried looking into her eyes, they were chocolate brown, like her real ones.

"Hermione, The Dark Lo-Voldemort gave me another task. But this time it's to… well, i have to-to kill you." Hermione took a step backwards, as she processed what he was saying.

"No, but you, are you, Draco?" She was shuffling backwards, tripping over her long dress.

"Hermione, of course not, but they're coming. To the school, tonight. I thought I'd let you know. I don't think Potter'd miss a chance to be hero again." Draco trailed off as he looked at Hermione, her face livid with fear.

"We have to go back, er- when are they coming? Are you going to fight?" She looked into his pale eyes and he turned up his nose.

"I'm not sure. I was supposed to call after i'd killed you. Isn't there a potion i can give you? To make you seem dead? I thought Slughorn mentioned one time-" But Draco was cut off.

"Oi, can you please explain why a lying weasel is whispering to you, 'Mione?" Hermione and Draco whipped around, for they had both forgotten that the weren't alone. Ron looked extremely like himself considering he was a full head taller and covered in gray hair.

Draco stepped forward and extended his hand to Ron, who flinched away.

"My name is Draco Malfoy, and i'm saving your ass." He smirked up at Ron, who's face was contorted with rage.

"What are you playing at, Malfoy?" Draco mearly shrugged and turned back to Hermione, who was frowning slightly.

"Draco, if i'm supposed to be dead, then i'm dead. Bring that news and tell them that you killed me, and that Ron and Harry took me away. That'll work right?"

"If Voldemort doesn't try and read my mind." Hermione's mouth opened slightly and she slapped herself on the forehead.

"Oh! You know he can, right? Oh, why didn't i think of that I-"

"Hermione, it'll be fine. I'll control myself." Draco tried to calm Hermione down, but inside he was stressed and scared about what the future held.

"I'm not sure if we'll come back, it'd be too risky. For them to know that i'm still alive. Er-Draco, thank you." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oi!" Ron yelled again. Hermione blushed and turned to him, talking fast, explaining the plan to him and Harry. Draco was just mulling over what had just happened. He surfaced from his daydream in time to hear Harry say something.

"Of course we aren't running away, Hermione! That's stupid. I fought my whole life to this point. You know it's got to be me that kills him."

"Stop being the hero, Potter!" Draco felt himself yelling at the bespeckled teen, "You can't go back, it's a death sentence. These are Death Eaters, not your classmates. Voldemort, not a teacher. They will kill you, and they'll think nothing of it. You cannot go back." The finality in his voice stunned the other three, and they just stared at Draco, their eyes wide. Harry recovered first.

"You don't understand-"

"Don't understand do i? Don't understand that you're risking your life, lives," he corrected himself looking to Hermione, "Well, it's not going to happen. You have to get away, somewhere safe."

"Malfoy, You don't know. This war, this war is _my _fault. Voldemort wants _me_. Not anyone else. There was a… a prophecy, it must be me, Malfoy. I have to kill him. _Neither can live while the other survives. _So I'm going back. And i'm killing him. And you're not going to stop us." Harry stared into Draco's cold steel eyes and watched as his stare calmed.

"So, it's true then. You _are _the Chosen One. Typical. Okay, fine, whatever. You can come back, but shouldn't Hermione and Weasley find somewhere safe to hide?" He said it calmly, hoping that Harry didn't get that he wanted, no, _needed _Hermione to be safe.

"I've been trying to get them to let me fight alone for months. No dice." Ron smirked and Hermione looked up and chuckled. Draco took that it was some sort of inside joke between the three. He checked his watch and looked up to Hermione. She smiled reassuringly at him.

"Hermione. Be safe." He muttered his goodbye and turned on the spot, his mind full of anxious worries.


	15. Chapter 15

**Another long one. Please forgive me xD**

He took a deep breath and walked up the great front stairs, approaching a thoroughly upset Filch.

"You! You think because you're father has connections all over the Ministry, and this school, you can run off with no consequences, oh that's rich. To my office, Malfoy." Draco bowed his head and marched up to the caretakers office and lounged in an uncomfortable, dusty chair.

Filch walked in carting in the Headmistress after him. He was babbling to her in his wheezy tone, and Draco was trying to drown out the noise. The headmistress looked down at him, and asked Filch to leave the office. He looked outraged, but stepped out just the same. McGonagall came down hard on him, eyes like those of a hawk behind her square spectacles.

"Who did you go see, and tell me what happened." Draco deliberated wether to tell the truth, or to make up a lie. His mind emptied, and he quickly realized he had to tell the truth and hope that McGonagall would help him.

In a hushed whisper Draco told the Headmistress about The Dark Lord's plans, and that they were to infiltrate the castle that night, as Draco wore on, the dark eyes beneath glasses grew wider and wider, eventually wide as orbs when the tale was done.

"Do you know what this means, Malfoy?" He shook his head uncertainly, as she straitened up and strode across the room to the closed door.

"This means there's going to be a war." And with that statement she flew out into the hall in route for the teachers lounge. Draco ran after her, barely keeping up with her long, rapid strides.

"Professor, I mean, Headmistress, I'm sorry, sorry." She stopped abruptly and faced him.

"Do not apologize. You are doing a great thing, i fear for your life, though." She started walking again, and Draco fell into step beside her, mind racing.

"Headmistress, what are we doing, exactly?"

"Rallying the troops." She smiled slightly, and turned into the teachers lounge. Draco paused for a second, then headed in after her.

"Attention, Professors, the time has come." The teachers surrounding the headmistress looked perplexed, but some nodded knowingly.

"Mr. Malfoy here seems to have taken a turn for the light. He just informed me that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named plans to attack the castle tonight to capture Potter. Malfoy was supposed to kill another student, but instead has gotten her out, i believe Potter is with her, for the student was Hermione Granger." At this many of the teacher gasped and looked sideways at Draco, who shuffled his feet nervously. "Heads of Houses," She continued, "You will have to wake your students from their dormitories, and send them out to the train station. If any over age want to stay and fight, please, by all means, let them stay. This is it, let's go." She clapped her hands, and she walked out of the room followed by Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn.

Draco sighed and pushed out of the room to avoid questions from the rest of the Professors, and walked up to the 7th floor corridor to the Room of Requirement. He opened the large wooden doors and he walked through piles and piles of old useless things until he got to a rather large, ornate cabinet. He ran his fingers through his hair, stepped inside, muttered a spell, and felt himself being sucked through space until he stopped abruptly. He opened his eyes and pushed out of the cabinet.

The shopkeeper looked extremely confused, but said nothing. Even if he did Draco wouldn't have acknowledged him. He pushed out of the front door and into the deserted street. He sat down hard on the front stoop and buried his face in his hands.

Then, quite suddenly, a sharp pain came from his arm, for the second time that week. He became quite dizzy from the pain of it. After it subsided, he stood up and looked for a sign of life on the street.

The first people he saw were his own parents, gleaming blonde hair visible in the dark air. Next to them was his aunt, Bellatrix, and they were all gathered in a closeknit circle. Most of the Death Eaters wore masks. Others did not and were grinning ear to ear. Some, like his mother and father, looked quite scared. Draco knew who was hidden in the circle, and he shuddered at the thought.

He walked forward to meet his parents. They smiled at him, but he kept his face blank. He had to concentrate. His plan would never work if the Dark Lord read his mind.

"Bellatrix, bring me the boy." the piercing tone made Draco's aunt giggle with pleasure. She grabbed Draco by the hem of his sleeve and pulled him to the center of the Death Eaters where Voldemort stood. His long skeletal fingers reached out towards Draco, who took an involuntary step backwards. Voldemort chuckled and looked Draco in the eyes.

"Is it done?" Draco's mind flickered through the past weeks, Hermione's laugh, her scream, her eyes, her features, her fury, Draco smiled slightly, looked up into Voldemort's snake-like face and murmured his response.

"Yes."

The Dark Lord smiled and yelled, "Then we take Potter and the castle tonight!" His followers whooped and yelled in approval. Draco led them in through the same way he'd got there.

The clerk's eyes widened as he saw the Death Eaters enter his small shop. He let out a small squeak and ducked behind the counter into a back room. Draco shook his head and went through the cabinet with his parents.

As he emerged, his mother's pale hand on his shoulder, he heard his aunt's cackles fill the large room. Draco took a deep breath, loosed his mother's grip on him, and moved to open the door. He ducked out of the room and he saw Voldemort walk down a near corridor, most of the Death Eaters following him. One of the Death Eaters, a tall, stocky bloke walked up to Draco.

"Take me to the body." Draco looked up into the man's deep blue eyes, and saw a sliver of red pass over them. Draco stifled a shudder, beckoned with his hand and walked calmly to the teachers lounge. _Surely there will be a teacher there. I can't even remember the stunning spell. Come on, Draco, come on. _Draco turned quite quickly, pulling out his wand as he did.

"Stupefy!" He screamed. A jet of red hit the stocky man in the chest, he made a loud moan, then dropped to the ground.

"I didn't know you knew how to stun people. Must have been in the D.A. Did you use polyjuice potion?" Draco jumped and looked through the dark and met bright eyes and wheat-colored hair. Luna Lovegood appeared out of nowhere and laid a hand on Draco's shoulder. "I knew you were a good guy. You have hardly any knargles in your head. You think clearly." She smiled and skipped down the hall, leaving Draco as breathless as she had the last time they'd met.

He shook his head and wondered if he'd imagined the whole encounter. He pushed off the thoughts, but raced through the halls, nevertheless, new energy surging through him. He went through the twists of hallways and through several of his quickest passageways, and was soon right outside of the Great Hall. He heard the cackle of his aunt and new the gang of Death Eaters were near by. He rushed into the Great Hall, and was met by rows and rows of students. All stock silent. He drew no attention to himself, and searched silently for the headmistress. He didn't see her, and slipped out.

He ran up to the astronomy tower, huffing and puffing from the long run. He saw Mcgonagall standing next to the railings. Draco's mind blurred as he remembered standing in this exact spot nearly a year ago. The circumstances were nearly the same.

"Except now you're doing the right thing." Draco turned around quickly and was face to face with Severus Snape.

Draco sputtered and backed up until he was right beside the Headmistress. She turned around, shock apparent in her dark eyes.

"Severus? But, i thought… Why are you here?" She raised her wand to him.

"I am here to fight," he said simply, and tucked his own wand into his dark cloak.

"Yes, but for which side?" Mcgonagall did not lower her wand. She walked up to the dark haired man, and pushed her wand into his face. Draco stood stock still and remembered Snape in the dungeons giving him the mission. Snape who killed Dumbledore. He was sure the man was fighting for the dark, and not the light.

"Dumbledore trusted me. Why don't you?"

"YOU KILLED HIM, YOU MONSTER!" Mcgonagall screamed, tears flowing down her wrinkled face.

"That I did, Minerva, but I was ordered by Dumbledore himself. This is not a time for this conversation." Mcgonagall raised her eyebrows as if to say she was intrigued, but Draco interrupted.

"I'm sorry, i know this seems very important, but won't we need to find our dear Potter?"

"We'll talk about this later," Mcgonagall told Snape, and sweeped out of the room, Draco on her heels. Soon she was right outside of the Great Hall. Draco was flustered from making this trip twice.

The headmistress swept into the room, and called out to the many students.

"If you are under 17 please accompany Professor Filch to Hogsmeade station." Mcgonagall waited until all the younger students were gone until she started talking again. "Silence," she started, because whispered rumors were flying all over the room. She explained about the war, and how Death Eaters were in the castle right at this moment. She ended by saying, "If you are willing to fight, stay and fight, if you would rather go, and never return, by all means." She looked around the vast room.

Nearly all the Slytherins stood up and filed out of the room, followed by several Ravenclaws, and a handful of Hufflepuffs. Nearly all the Gryffindors remained.

"Let's fight!" Mcgonagall roared, and everyone cheered and followed her out into the hall, wands held at the ready. Draco stayed behind, thinking.


	16. Chapter 16

"I hate to think what's happening at Hogwarts right now." Hermione worded this carefully, making sure not to lead on to her concern for Draco. Both Harry and Ron looked at her, they were building a fire, for which she had foolishly asked if they had found any wood earlier.

"I'm with you. I wonder if V-I mean, You-Know-Who, has figured out that we're looking for horcruxes…" Harry trailed off, wondering about his second home.

"Well, I say," Ron broke in, "that we shouldn't worry about it, and that we should find some bloody food." Harry shook his head and stood up. Hermione rose with him, and together they walked into the forest, searching for food.

"You know, lately he's being a right git." Harry said, kicking a pebble. Hermione nodded, brain still not focusing on the task at hand. Harry nudged her and pointed ahead. A small pond was twinkling in the moonlight. Hermione smiled, and pointed her wand at a stick nearby on the ground. She muttered a spell and the long stick turned into a fishing net. Harry looked at her curiously.

"Why don't we just use a summoning spell?" Harry asked her.

"You try grabbing a live, wet fish!" She exclaimed at walked to the edge of the pond.

"Accio fish." Harry said behind her, and she held the net at the ready. A large catfish came zooming out of the water towards her, she let out a squeak, closed her eyes and pushed the net out in front of her. She felt the fish wriggling in the net, so she opened her eyes and looked back at Harry. He was keeled over, silently laughing at her.

She shook her head and walked past him, back to the campsite, he jogged up beside her.

"That was some nice fishing, 'Mione." He said, still chuckling. She pushed him away playfully as they crossed the enchantments to get back to they campsite. They walked into the tent to tell Ron they had gotten food, but they found him on the floor, tinkering with a radio.

"Er- What are you doing, mate?" Harry said, shuffling over and lowering himself to the floor beside Ron. He looked up, his eyes glistening.

"Dad sent a patronus. There's supposed to be a radio program, he called it Potterwatch," Ron looked at Harry, "It's supposed to be really informative. He also said that everyone's okay, everyone's fine." He smiled, and went back to the radio. Hermione looked at Harry, who wasn't laughing anymore. She could only guess at what he was thinking.

"Wh-What is it saying?" Harry stuttered.

"Well, that's the thing," Ron said, "It's really hard to tune it, they enchanted it so that Death Eaters wouldn't be able to tune in, see?" Hermione nodded, but Harry just kept staring. "Dad told me the password, it's phoenix, I just need to figure out how to tune in…" He trailed off, head bowed in concentration.

"I'll go cook this." Hermione whispered, and stood up, leaving her best friends huddled around an old radio.

:::

"I am an idiot." Draco whispered to himself, his grey eyes closed.

"That you are." Snape uttered, striding up to Draco. Draco's eyes snapped open, and he stuffed his hand into his cloak, reaching for his wand.

"Put it away, Draco. I am as much an enemy to you, as Hermione Granger." Draco flinched at her name. "Oh, struck a nerve, have I? Well, Mr. Malfoy, you're in luck, because I know where she is." Again Draco looked up, hungry for more information.

"You're a liar. A murderer. Why would I trust you?" Draco whispered, unsure if he could even raise his voice.

"Because I've felt the same as you. I don't want you to lose the one you love." Snape muttered, so inaudibly, Draco wondered if he'd heard right.

"I don't love her." Draco said a little louder. Snape stared at him disbelievingly.

"If you say so," He said, walking away. Draco shook his head again, and walked out of the Great Hall after his former head of house.

"I have to find her." He called after him.

"I know." Snape replied.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hermione! Harry! I got it, get in here!" The two said teens stood up quickly and jogged into the tent. They saw their red-haired friend, hovering over the radio, just as they'd left him an hour ago.

"Listen," He whispered.

"-and that means, don't go walking around in Surrey unless you're feeling suicidal," finished a familiar voice.

"Well, it wouldn't really be suicidal, now, would it? They only take your soul," Another familiar voice pointed out.

"Whatever you say Rodent," The first voice replied.

"RODENT? What! I told you i wanted to be Rapier, much more classy!" The other voice retaliated.

"That's Fred, I think," Ron said.

"And the other one's Lee, right?" Harry asked.

"I think so," Ron replied.

They listened as the people they were fighting to keep safe talked about transportation tactics and rallying support for The Boy Who Lived. Hermione's eyes filled with tears and Ron held her close to him. She didn't object, and nuzzled her head into his chest.

:::

Snape led Draco forward through a thick wood. Snape was sliding gracefully over even the most tricky branches, while Draco was tripping and falling down. The older one paid no attention and walked further into the darkness.

"Where are we going?" Draco huffed, trying to catch his breath.

"I told you before, Draco, we're going to find Granger." Snape called behind, not bothering to stop or turn around.

Draco felt uneasy, sure Snape was going to have some secret plan to lure him to the Death Eaters, and not to find Hermione.

Snape stopped so abruptly Draco nearly ran into him. Draco opened his mouth for an explanation, but Snape raised his wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" He cast the spell, and a silver doe erupted out of his wand.

"What is a Patronus going to-" Snape cut Draco off with holding up his hand.

"Follow me," He whispered. Draco obliged and Snape set him under a tree. Then Snape pulled a sword out of his robes. Draco looked at it incredulously, but said nothing. Snape set the sword at the bottom of a nearby pool and put an enchantment around it. He stepped back and shuffled toward Draco, a smile on his lips.

Draco raised his eyebrows at the man, but Snape said nothing, merely covered his lips with one finger and looked toward a clearing. And Draco soon knew why. Harry Potter was stumbling up the pass towards where Draco and Snape were standing, following Snape's beautiful Patronus.

As soon as the doe reached the calm pool, it dissolved, leaving Harry in near darkness. He peered into the deep pool, sighed, and lifted off his clothes, one by one, until all the was left was his pants and a golden locket hanging around his neck, Draco looked up at Snape, and saw him mouth_ let's go_. Draco nodded and apparated.


	18. Chapter 18

"That was amazing and courageous and all, Professor, but how is that supposed to help me?" Draco rambled to Snape as the walked back up to the castle.

"They will come and fight. They know. She knows, Draco." Draco threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Know what? What are you talking about, old man?" Snape turned to him, but said nothing. They walked in awkward silence back up to the castle.

"You will see." He uttered then turned and billowed off to fight. Draco shrugged and ran off to fight, as well.

. . .

"Where the hell is Harry?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I don't know." She sighed. "We have to go find him." Ron nodded, and picked up his wand. Hermione snatched up hers, threw on a coat, and walked out into the snow. They looked around, hoping to see Harry nearby, but saw nothing.

"Why would he have wiped his tracks?" Ron nearly yelled. Hermione shook her head and looked around more, while Ron played with his Deluminator distractedly.

"He might not of, it just might have snowed," Hermione told him, pointing to the white flakes already stuck in Ron's fiery hair.

"Well, which way do you think he-" But he didn't finish asking, because a blue orb floated out the top of the Deluminator.

"What the-" Hermione whispered, but soon the light was gone, and Ron was on the move, towards the woods. Hermione had to jog to keep up.

"What just happened," She exclaimed, catching him by the arm. He ignored her, and pressed on, this time at a run.

He stopped abruptly outside a pond. Hermione peered into it and screamed, Harry was thrashing inside it. Ron jumped in, clothes and all and pulled Harry out, and with his free hand he pulled out a sword.

"_Anapneo!" _Hermione nearly screamed the spell and pointed her wand at Harry's airway. Harry coughed, rolled over, and spat out a mouth full of water.

"Ron, what just happened? Oh, and Harry, what the-" Hermione turned to each of them, and they both looked about as confused as her.

The same glowing blue orb exploded out of Ron's chest, and flew back into the Deluminator. Harry exclaimed, and Hermione's eyes grew wide.

"Well, the Deluminator helps me find things… I thought I should use it to help us find Harry," He stated simply. Hermione shook her head and helped Harry to his feet.

"What's your story?" Hermione turned on Harry. Harry told his best friends about the silver doe, and how it had led him to the pool.

"Yeah, but how come you almost drowned?" Ron burst in. Harry pulled the golden locked from his neck. Hermione gasped and pointed at the red marks around his neck, and the large oval where the locket had been pressed into his skin.

"I think it sensed something that was going to kill it… it was stupid of me not to take it off before jumping in." Ron nodded fiercely.

"You git!" Ron muttered. Hermione and Harry laughed sheepishly, and the trio walked back to the tent to dry off.

"What's that on the handle?" Hermione said halfway back to the tent. Harry and Ron both looked curiously at the ruby encrusted handle and saw a piece of completely dry parchment attached to it.

"Er-what?" Ron pulled it off and held it out to his two friends. Hermione saw beautiful slanted handwriting that she couldn't make out in the dim light.

"I don't see anything…" Harry muttered, and Ron nodded. Hermione looked at them both incredulously.

"You don't see the writing?" She asked the skeptically. They both shook their heads.

"There's writing?" Ron asked quietly.

"It must be enchanted for only m- I mean, a woman to see." Her pale cheeks flushed. "Let's go in so I can read it." The two boys nodded, for just then they arrived at the canvas tent, erected in the snowy meadow.

Hermione put the crisp piece of parchment up to the light and read it to herself.

**Forgive me. I can't ignore it any longer. I love you, Hermione Granger.**

**-DM**

Hermione's breath became ragged and both Ron and Harry looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong 'Mione?" Ron whispered, using this old pet nickname for her.

"Nothing. It must have been a trick of the light… It is a blank parchment." She bent down and dropped the small bit of paper into the fire they had built earlier. Harry looked unconvinced but didn't press the issue.

Hermione tried all night long to push Draco's beautiful handwriting from her mind, but it only came up more pronounced in her dreams.

_I love you, Hermione Granger._


	19. Chapter 19

"So, he needs the sword… why?" Draco asked Snape.

"I'll tell you after the Dark Lord has been defeated." Snape replied in an annoyed voice.

"Yeah, but we need Potter for that, though, right?" Draco asked again, an arrogant air to his voice.

"Yes." Snape said through clenched teeth. "We just have to wait. Voldemort hasn't come yet. He's searching for something. And he cannot-nay, will not come to the castle until he finds it."

"Finds what?" Draco asked, throwing up his arms. Snape merely shook his head and walked up the steps and into the castle.

Most of the Death Eaters had been caught by McGonagall and her staff. Loads of kids had been sent home, and more still sent to St. Mungo's. Draco ran after Snape, but instead of following him down a dark corridor, he went toward the dungeons, in search of his father.

"Draco?" He heard his father's dry croak before he saw him. "Draco?" The voice repeated.

"I'm here, father." Draco whispered. He found his father's cell and ignored the other Death Eaters calling out to him.

"What have you done?" Lucius asked quietly.

"I've finally chosen my own future." Draco whispered, even quieter. Lucius searched for his son's eyes, but found them looking at the cold, grey floor.

"I'm proud." Lucius said in a breath. Draco pretended not to hear, and turned on his heel, back up the black staircase, tears pooling in his eyelids.

"Proud" The word echoed in his brain. Draco ignored it still and tried to find Snape in the nearly deserted castle. Draco found him fairly quickly. He was sitting under an old oak tree, smiling at a lily.

. . .

"Give it to me, Grindwald." Voldemort's cold voice penetrated every pore of the old wizards skin.

"I do not have it. I have not had it for years." Grindewald was oddly calm. This unnerved the Dark Lord, who was used to people bowing, or quivering in fear.

"Who took it from you? Tell the truth." Voldemort said the last three words with conviction, just as he had since youth. The man smiled.

"The only man who ever defeated me." Grindewald laughed then, and Voldemort couldn't stand the sound of it. A flash of green and he was flying, out of the man's house, and out of his country. Hogwarts, he had to get to Hogwarts.

:::

"I love you." Hermione stepped back and covered her face. Ron Weasley stepped forward and closed the gap. He took her hand. Hermione looked up into his freckled face and felt at home. Why she had broken up with him, her feelings for one blonde Slytherin dissolved in that moment. She closed the gap and kissed him, kissed him like never before.

"Oi!" Harry's exclamation broke up Hermione and Ron's secret embrace and they both shied away, embarrassed and scarlet faced.

"We'll have to go to Hogwarts." Harry said. Hermione looked confused, but Ron nodded.

"Yeah, i thought so. You think you found the last Horcrux?" Ron asked. Harry nodded and turned to Hermione.

"Rowena Ravenclaw's last diadem. I saw into V- I had a dream. It's in the Room of Requirement. Next to where i put my potions book last year." Hermione looked up into his green eyes and nodded. She hid her apprehension. Draco was at Hogwarts.

:::

"Come on!" Hermione called to Harry. They were running through the gate that made entrance into Hogwarts. Harry ran ahead of both Ron and Hermione, his wand clutched tightly in his hand. They arrived at the entrance and found it in rubbles.

"They must have been here already." Ron told the other two. They nodded and entered the castle cautiously. They did not see Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy watching them across the grounds.

"Let's go." Snape told Draco, and they hurried into the castle themselves.

. . .

The Dark Lord was on the Hogwarts grounds. It was night and he was on a mission. He glided across the bumpy terrain and found the white tomb of his old Transfiguration teacher.

"We finally meet again, Dumbledore." Voldemort whispered to the sealed tomb. Voldemort smiled and blasted through the white marble, revealing a feeble looking old man, who's features were contorted by death. From this man Voldemort took a wand, and held it up. Finally, he could defeat Harry Potter.

. . .

"Harry! Harry!" Hermione and Ron we kneeling over their fallen friend, who sat up abruptly.

"He's here." Harry closed his eyes and ran to a window. Sure enough, Dumbledore's tomb was desecrated, and his head was searing with pain.

"Potter!" A familiar voice called over his shoulder. Snape and Draco stepped forward, and Harry raised his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" He yelled instinctively at the murderer. Snape's wand did not move, for it was still tucked in his dark black robes. He preformed the same spell on Draco, who's wand flew through the air, and was caught by Hermione. Silence stretched through the corridor for what seemed like hours.

"Explain." Hermione yelled at Draco. Tears silently falling from her cheeks.

"He's good, i swear." Draco said quietly.

"As much as i'd love to stay and chit-chat," Harry piped up, "There's the matter that Voldemort is coming into the castle at this very moment." Both Ron and Hermione nodded. Harry ran down the hall, followed by Ron and Snape. Hermione made to follow, but Draco caught her by her arm.

"Hermione." Draco breathed. She shuffled her feet nervously, not daring to look him in the eye.

"I got your note." She whispered. Draco perked up, and moved forward. Hermione pulled back.

"Draco, I can't." Draco's smile faltered. Hermione turned her back on him and raced down the hall to help Harry and Ron. Draco's face went slack and he raced after her.


	20. Chapter 20

"You cannot defeat me Harry Potter, especially not with just a Mud-blood, two blood traitor, and a man who's soul is bound to me. Snape looked at Lord Voldemort, and a flash of anger passed over his hooked face.

"You never had my soul, especially not after you killed her!" Snape yelled. Voldemort looked aghast and sent ropes flying out of his wand at Snape.

"I'll deal with you later." Voldemort said, his attention setting once more on the Boy Who Lived.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry had no time to react, Harry was so used to Voldemort playing with his food before he ate it, he never saw it coming.

Ron and Hermione both yelled, anguish and disbelief apparent in their young faces. Draco stayed hidden. Dissolving in anguish of his own.

. . .

Dumbledore and Harry were talking. Harry was not donning glasses neither was his old headmaster.

"So I was the last horcrux?" Harry asked his mentor of 6 years. Dumbledore nodded, and Harry stared with disbelief.

"'You might want to go back and kill the mortal Tom Riddle, Harry." Dumbledore added. Harry nodded once and dissolved into space, out of the dream that was not a dream, but a space between life and death.

Harry awoke to crying and laughing. The crying was low and pierced with laughter that reminded him of a church bell ringing. Harry dared not move. His wand was a few feet away from him, and his glasses were hanging off the edge of his nose.

Voldemort spoke. "Severus. Carry the boy to the Great Hall. Mudblood, Traitor, you come too." Harry waited silently to be picked up by Snape, and tried to think of a way to kill Voldemort before he could realize he had vanquished his killing curse for the second time.

. . .

The disbelief was tearing Hermione apart. She was sick with the pain of it. Her arms were bound with thick ropes, and her mouth was gagged. Her sobs were still clear though the thick fabric. She saw tears running down Ron's face.

"Where are my Death Eater, Severus?" Voldemort asked Snape, who was carrying Harry almost as if he were a baby who had merely fallen asleep. The tenderness of this gesture made Hermione lapse back into her fits of sobbing.

"Dungeons." Snape said, laying Harry down on the table. Hermione saw his chest move, but put it off as wind. Harry Potter would never talk to her again. She sobbed even harder.

"Voldemort calls to his followers. Come out and play, oh, and you too, Aurors." Hermione heard footsteps echoing below and above her.

And that's when it happened. Harry jumped up and sent a spell flying at Voldemort, who roared in rage. Hermione couldn't believe her eyes, she cried and laughed at the same time.

Then a flash of green. The killing curse Voldemort sent at Harry was dodged and it hit Hermione square in the chest. Just then Draco ran into the hall, flanked by McGonagall and Snape. He cried out.

"HERMIONE!" He rushed forward, his despair nearly tangible. Snape held him back. He was running forward, pushing Snape out his way, he kneeled next to his fallen love.

"Hermione." He whispered it, just as he had what seemed like an eternity before. He unbound her, and the world held her hand and the battle stopped around him.

Harry and Ron were screaming and Voldemort had fallen. But Draco did not care. He was beyond caring. He pulled out of the hall and ran out of the battle and into a deserted corridor.

. . .

He stumbled down the hall, blindly and recklessly, he forgot about the wand in his pocket and the pitch darkness of the corridor. He didn't know what time it was, nor did he care. All that mattered was that she had left him. Left him to fight in the battle his parents, and their colleges, fought so hard to make happen. He didn't realize yet, but his face was damp with the tears he swore he'd never shed for her.

"You left me," he whispered, unable to contain his emotions.

"YOU LEFT ME," he screamed again, "and you aren't coming back.." he trailed off.

Everything faded, then fell dark.


End file.
